The Sun
by blaerofvalenwood
Summary: After being scouted by an agency, u's gets the opportunity to experience the world of professional idols in a way they never expected. With an intense workload, strict deadlines, and little to no down time, keeping their normal daily lives intact becomes a real challenge, and for Maki and Nico, who just recently entered a romantic relationship, this proves to be even more difficult
1. Chapter 1

Maki's hand ran across the length of the table that was sitting in the middle of the idol research club room as she made her way towards the window in the back. The only sounds that could be heard were her light footsteps and short breaths. Maki frequented the room when no one was around. She found peace within the silent confines of the empty room. Today, she was particularly grateful for the time alone.

She had been dreading this day for a while, and though she had been aware of the inevitability of its arrival, she had secretly hoped that it would never come. But it did, as expected, and here she was, hiding away in a secluded area to avoid the pain of today's activities.

Maki sighed deeply. A cold feeling had gripped her heart over the past months, a feeling she shared with no one. She had withdrawn into herself in an effort to lessen the pain, but of course it hadn't helped. Today, the day that the much-loved third years were to graduate, Maki spiraled into a lonely desperation, all because she couldn't bring herself to open up about her emotions.

Maki allowed herself to gaze around the room. She carefully examined each nook and cranny, as though she were looking for something that was out of place. But everything looked the same. Not a single object had moved from its designated place. Maki grimaced at the false sense of security that this observation gave her. Everything was going to change, regardless of this room's obviously deceptive condition.

Maki was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a light rapping at the door. It opened with an audible creak, and Nozomi stepped across the threshold, a small knowing smile on her face.

"You're going to be late for the ceremony, Maki," Nozomi said. "Your disappearance hasn't gone unnoticed, you know."

Maki didn't answer. She returned her gaze towards the window. The courtyard outside was empty, most likely due to the students gathering in the auditorium for the graduation ceremony. Staring at nothing seemed fitting for her mood.

Nozomi chucked softly, "I don't think things are going to be as bad as you think. In fact, I'm sure of it. The cards favored us today. See?"

Maki turned her head and saw a single tarot card sitting between the third year's pointer and middle fingers. It read "The Sun". An image of a boy riding a white horse with a vibrant sun shining in the distance marked the card's surface. Maki thought it looked a bit silly.

"You know I don't believe in that stuff," Maki grumbled, finally breaking her silence.

"Just because you don't believe in it, doesn't mean it can't be real," Nozomi smiled back at her.

"Whatever."

Maki knew she was being childish. Hiding from her issues wasn't going to solve anything, but facing them was proving to be incredibly difficult. This wouldn't have been nearly as horrible if she had shown some self control in the past. But she had let herself be greedy, and now she had something that was too painful to let go.

"If you skip the ceremony, it'll crush her," Nozomi pointed out. "She would never admit it, but I know it would. I wouldn't be too happy myself either." Nozomi finished her sentence with a lopsided grin.

Nozomi was right. Given the recent development in her life, there was one person who wouldn't take her absence lightly. Nico Yazawa, a small, somewhat abrasive third year and self-proclaimed super idol. She was infamous for her over the top idol persona, but anyone who spent more than a few minutes with her knew that she was much more than that. The months Maki spent learning about the real Nico Yazawa was what made her fall for the tiny girl.

It only took a few weeks of awkward courting for them to start a relationship. It was a fairly new development, so most people were completely unaware. Though neither Maki nor Nico uttered a single word about their newly founded relationship, those with keener senses managed to figure it out on their own.

Maki felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, "C'mon, we're going to be late. There's no use in dawdling here anymore." Nozomi grabbed Maki's arm and dragged her towards the door. Maki didn't resist. Her troubled mind had already drained her of most of her energy.

As soon as Nozomi flung the door open, they were greeted by a familiar face. Nico, slightly flustered by the sudden appearance of the two others, stood right outside. Maki assumed that Nico had come in search of her. She felt slightly guilty. Worrying the older girl on her graduation day was never her intention.

"Oho, how convenient," Nozomi snickered. "I'll go on ahead and leave Maki's transportation to you, Nico." Before either of them could say anything, Nozomi ran down the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

"Geez, what's her deal?" Nico wondered aloud. "And more importantly, where exactly have you been? Do you honestly think I'd allow you to miss the great Nico Nii's graduation?" Nico crossed her arms and pouted. Maki found the faux anger amusing, and insanely cute.

Maki stepped towards Nico until they were just a mere few inches apart. She took the older girl's hands in her own and leaned down until their foreheads were touching. It was in moments like these the she was grateful for Nico's short stature.

"Sorry," Maki mumbled. She looked Nico straight in the eye, searching for some kind of response. Nico leaned up and tapped her nose against Maki's. This simple action caught Maki off guard, though she wasn't entirely sure why considering she was the one to initiate the contact in the first place. Maybe she had just expected Nico to actually be angry with her, and the childish grin on her companion's face threw her off. Sometimes she forgot how easygoing Nico could be outside of the idol world.

"You worry way too much, Maki! I may be graduating, but that won't change anything! I'll always be around to give you a big Nico Nico smile that will brighten your day and fill your heart with love!" Nico threw her arms up in her classic pose.

Maki laughed, "Geez, that's horrible." She dodged a swipe.

"You really don't have any appreciation for the art of idol catchphrases and poses, do you?" Nico stuck her tongue out, a twinkle in her eyes. Maki found herself laughing again, something that she had never been used to doing frequently until very recently.

That was one thing that Maki really loved about Nico. The tiny girl liked to make people around her smile, an ideal that carried over into her dreams of being a professional idol. Even if she was worried herself, she always made sure to keep morale high. It was an endearing trait of hers that was often overlooked.

Nico grabbed Maki's hand. "Let's go or we really will be late. The world has arrived to see Nico Nii off, and I refuse to keep them waiting!" Nico pulled Maki down the hallway in the direction of the school's auditorium.

"I'm pretty sure that's not the case," Maki retorted, smiling at the girl's childish proclamation.

Nico didn't respond. She just continued down the hallway with increased fervency. Maki, feeling her hand go numb in Nico's strangely vice like grip, could tell that Nico was feeling just as nervous as she was. Despite the third year's words of reassurance, no one could tell what would happen in the future, and that thought alone was enough to scare anyone.

* * *

The ceremony had taken an interesting turn. At any other school, it would have proceeded as planned, but those schools lacked one very important thing: Honoka Kousaka. She had decided to surprise the third years by breaking into song right in the middle of everything, which had resulted in many shed tears. Maki had accompanied her on piano and the other u's members sang along. It had been an emotional experience for everyone.

But that was hardly the most interesting event of the day. After the ceremony, the group had walked to the front gates, ready to bid farewell to their graduated friends, when Hanayo had received a text. Judging by the girl's insistent plea that they return to the club room, Maki had assumed that that text was of great importance.

Now back in the room, which had been cleaned out by Nico after graduation, Maki patiently waited for information to be revealed, though Hanayo was currently too worked up to form coherent sentences.

"Come on, Hanayo! Spit it out!" Nico shouted, shaking the first year with each syllable.

"I can't...Nico... you're shaking me…" Hanayo struggled to speak through Nico's vigorous shakes.

"Now now." Eli placed one hand on each girl's shoulders. "Let's all calm down, so we can figure out what exactly is going on here. Hanayo, would you please tell us what part of that text message was so dire that you had to call an emergency meeting?"

Hanayo put her hands on her knees, her breath coming out in short raspy bursts, trying to calm herself down long enough to relay her information. Finally, with determination, Hanayo stood up straight and burst out a sentence no one in the room ever expected to hear.

"We're going to be professional idols!"

* * *

A/N: Alrighty so I'm about 99% sure this has been done before, but I wanted to try to write this scenario myself. It'll have a primary focus on Nicomaki, but I may add Rinpana and NozoEli as side pairings at some point.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay so normally I avoid all usage of honorifics in my fics because, personally, it feels awkward for me to include them in English writing, but I'm making an exception for Rin's "Kayochin" and Nozomi's "Elicchi" because it feels so incredibly wrong when I don't have them use those.

* * *

The studio stood out over every other building in the district. Maki brought her hand up to block sun that was shining down on them relentlessly and looked around. The building didn't have a single scratch or dent on it, and it seemed to have some sort of unnatural shine to it. Though it had probably been built a while ago, it looked like it had never been touched before. It seemed far too nice to be their actual destination. One victory at a tournament and they got invited to work here? That couldn't possibly be right.

The decision to come here hadn't been easy, and at the time, the whole situation felt incredibly unreal. Now that they were here, everything seemed like it came right out of dream. Maki thought back on the decision that brought them here in the first place.

* * *

_"Professional idols?" Rin questioned. "What makes you say that, Kayochin?" _

_Hanayo thrust her phone in the catlike girl's face, and almost immediately, the grouped huddled around her. Maki couldn't see, due to several bodies blocking her sight of the screen, so she decided to wait until someone spoke up. Nico, whose view had also been blocked because of her height, was making a much louder fuss as she attempted to peer over the shoulders of her taller friends._

_"Move out of the way!" Nico shouted. "I can't see!" She pounded her fists on Umi's back in an effort to move the younger girl, but Umi was far too preoccupied with the contents of the text to pay her any attention._

_"'Good job on winning the Love Live, u's,'" Honoka began reading the message out loud. "We at Shining Star Entertainment were very impressed, and we would like to discuss the possibility of you signing on with us. Please contact our business manager at this number if you are interested so we can discuss the details."_

_The text ended there. Silence filled the room. No one seemed able to vocalize their thoughts. Expressions of confusion, apprehension, and excitement flickered across the girl's faces. Maki leaned against the wall near the door. This was quite the proposition. She always thought that her time as an idol would end after she graduated, and now that the opportunity to continue in an even more prestigious way had been presented to them, it seemed like she would have to rethink her future. Maybe she could continue her music after all._

_Maki looked over at Nico, whose head was tilted away from Maki, preventing Maki from reading her expression. Considering the other girl's intense enthusiasm about all things idol related, Maki expected her to be jumping for joy, so Nico's silence seemed strange. Slightly worried, Maki walked over to Nico and placed her hand on the small girl's shoulder. Nico looked up at Maki, fat tears rolling down her face._

_"Oi, are you okay?" Maki asked, surprised by Nico's waterworks display. Her question caused the rest of the group to look over at them._

_Nico whispered, "They finally saw it. They finally understand."_

_"Saw what? Understood what? What are you going on about?"_

_"They finally saw Nico's talent for what it really is: professional quality. They get it! I've been waiting for this moment for so long. Maki!" Nico shouted Maki's name and flung her arms around the redhead, erupting into loud, overly dramatic sobs. _

_There it was. The reaction expected from someone like Nico. Thankfully, her loud outburst eased the atmosphere in the room, and the rest of the girl's were thrown into a fit of giggles. Maki patted Nico's head affectionately as the older girl clung to her body. Maki, feeling someone's eyes on her, scanned the group, and caught Nozomi's gaze. The purple haired girl gestured towards Nico and winked. Maki felt heat rise from her face and pushed Nico off._

_"So, what exactly are we going to do?" Umi asked everyone once their laughter had died down. "We're going to have to respond to them regardless of our answer. I think it's best that we discuss this situation immediately so we can reach a conclusion quickly." A majority of the girls nodded in agreement._

_"What's there to discuss?" Hanayo asked, retaining her high energy enthusiasm. "Of course we have to do it! This is a one time chance to really enter the world of idols! It's too good to pass up!" _

_Nico, having quickly recovered from her recent display, nodded her head vigorously. "I agree! If we don't do this, all of our hard work would have been for nothing! We won the Love Live! Let's revel in the spoils!" Nico walked over to Hanayo and stood directly beside her. With a fiery passion in their eyes, they stared down the rest of the group. Their alliance was unsurprising given their positions as the most idol obsessed members of u's._

_Maki admired their enthusiasm, but she was unsure if they really thought about it to the extent that they probably should have. Being a professional idol was nothing to scoff at. It was very likely that it would be unlike anything they had ever experienced, and judging by the hesitance in the eyes of some of the other members, she wasn't the only one thinking that._

_"The idea of being a professional idol is exciting," Eli started, "But will we be able to do it? Three of us graduated, but the rest of you are still in school. Is it possible to work at a professional level and still manage a proper education?"_

_"Plus, we've only just started being school idols this year," Umi added on, "I'm not sure we have enough experience to just jump into a professional field so suddenly."_

_"That certainly is something to think about as well," Eli agreed._

_They brought up fair points. All of this was happening at an extremely fast pace. Before today, Maki never considered this possibility even for a second, so diving into this without thinking about the whole picture seemed incredibly unwise. Maki wanted to support Nico in her endeavors to become a successful idol in any way that she could, but her more logical side won her over, and she was unable to ignore what Umi and Eli had mentioned._

_"I think..." Rin began. She paused momentarily to gather her thoughts. She grabbed her chin with a thoughtful "hmmm" and closed her eyes. All attention was on her as the group waited for Rin's contribution to the discussion._

_After a few moments, Rin opened her eyes, "I think we should do it! I mean, we were all so sad when we thought that this year was the last us nine could perform together. I know I wasn't the only one that wished for some way that we could stay together, and now we've found a way to make that wish come true!" Rin smiled widely and ran over to Nico and Hanayo._

_"I'm with Kayochin! And Nico too!" Rin wrapped her arms around her two friends. "Let's become professional idols!"_

_Rin had an uncanny ability to be quite convincing when it came to emotional matters. Though Maki's mind favored the more logical approach that Umi was demonstrating, she could feel herself be tempted by the possibility of a solid foundation that would keep the group together. She remembered the anxiety she felt just a few hours ago, and Rin's words became even more powerful. If u's accepted the offer, she would be able to stay in Nico's company for much longer, and that thought was particularly inviting. _

_"I want us all to be together as much as you do, but that doesn't change any of the points brought up," Umi argued. Umi stood with her arms crossed, her own piercing gaze combating those of the three girls across from her. Kotori shuffled awkwardly between them, trying to defuse any tension._

_U's was full of girls with many different mindsets, so reaching a conclusion on a decision as big as this one would likely take ages. Maki's mind struggled to find common ground between her natural drive to solve problems logically and her intense emotional desire to stay at Nico's side. Maki turned to the one who, in the past, had made several big decisions for the group and would likely be able to pull them out of this stalemate. _

_"What do you think about this, Honoka?" Maki asked. "Everything said so far has been completely legitimate. As our unofficial leader, I think the final word should fall to you."_

"_Ehhh… Why do I always get the hard decisions?" Honoka whined softly, her head hanging low. "But if it's really up to me, I say we just put it to a vote. Let our instincts decide on what's the right choice. If we over think this for too long, it'll just make things worse. We can give ourselves five minutes to think it over and write our decision down. We'll tally the votes afterwards."_

* * *

Though a few protested against putting such a big decision to vote, in the end, everyone agreed to participate. And to Maki's surprise, the vote had been unanimous. It seemed like Rin's words had reached even the most logical people. Now the girl's stood in front of one of the most intimidating buildings they had ever seen, and no one seemed willing to take the first step.

Maki felt a small hand squeeze hers. She looked over at Nico, who was staring at the building with fierce determination. Her chest welled with happiness. This may not have been her ultimate goal in life, but for Nico, this was like seeing your life long dream come true and being able to witness that happen for her was enough to keep Maki happy.

"Well are we going or not?" Nico asked impatiently. "We can't just stand around here all day. They're expecting us."

Nico was about to take the first step towards the building when a woman with long curly brown hair dressed in a beige business suit and heels emerged from the entrance. She looked around, her face lighting up once she laid eyes on the group, and half jogged towards them at an impressive speed. Upon reaching them, the woman took a formal bow.

"Welcome, u's," the woman greeted. "We've been expecting you. Our manager saw you arrive and sent me out to greet you all. My name is Yuka and starting today, I'll be working as your talent agent."

Yuka looked to be in her early thirties, and she gave off an air of maturity and dependability. But despite that, the woman's smile was warm and her brown eyes held genuine friendliness in them. Maki was used to dealing with important people, having been forced to socialize with her father's business friends when he held dinners at the Nishikino residence, so she had expected their agent to look a lot more intense. It was a pleasant surprise.

Yuka gestured towards the studio, "Please, come inside. We have a lot of preliminary work to get done before we can get to the good stuff. I'm sure you're all anxious to get started."

Maki followed Yuka and the rest of the group into the extravagant building, her hand still firmly in Nico's grasp. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was how busy it was. Several nicely dressed men and woman scurried about, a cellphone either in their hand or pressed against their ear. The lobby was filled with the sound of people barking orders to one another. It was borderline chaotic.

"Hurry, hurry. We're headed this way," Yuka ushered them towards a long hallway to the right of the entrance. The walls of the hallway were lined with framed photographs of various idol groups, both male and female. Maki thought she recognized some mainstream idols amongst the pictures.

They were led into a room at the end of the hallway. Inside, there were four couches arranged around a small coffee table in the center of the room. A long table was to the left, covered in a vast assortment of fliers and business cards. A bin filled with bottled water sat at the foot of the table. A large desk and and a brown leather chair were at the very back of the room, directly across from the entrance. It seemed like some sort of waiting area. Yuka gestured towards the couches, signalling the girl's to take a seat.

"I ask that you please wait here while I fetch our manager," Yuka explained. "He's the one that will be going over all of the important details with you." Yuka bowed once more and left the room.

"Wow, I can't believe we're really here," Kotori said.

"Yeah, it's almost unreal," Honoka agreed. "Everything here is so big and fancy, and everyone looks so professional. It's a little scary actually…" A few girls voiced their agreement.

"Did you all see the idol pictures in the hallway?" Hanayo asked excitedly. "There were some really popular ones up there!" Hanayo was practically vibrating with excitement, and Maki had to cover her mouth with her hand to hide her growing smile.

"Imagine if we got to meet them…" Nico mused. "Ahhh I'm not ready for that yet!" Nico grabbed the hem of her skirt in nervousness.

"That would be amazing," Hanayo sighed longingly.

Eli chuckled, "I think you two are getting ahead of yourselves. I'm sure whoever else is working with this agency is quite busy and probably doesn't have much time to socialize with other groups. It's possible that there's several different branches scattered around Japan as well."

Maki had to agree. Anyone working in a flourishing business such as this one was bound to be swamped with work. The men and woman they saw in the lobby were enough to attest to that. But Eli's words failed to leave any impression on the two girls, who continued to babble about being in the presence of supposed famous idols.

The girls chatted amongst themselves for about ten minutes before the door to the waiting room reopened. A tall man who looked to be in his mid thirties stepped inside. His jet black hair was slicked back allowing his sharp, angular facial features to stand out. His unforgiving eyes and deep frown were a direct contrast to the kind-faced Yuka standing beside him. He was much more intimidating than anyone they had seen so far.

The man didn't say anything. His eyes scanned each member carefully before moving towards the desk at the back. He sat down and pulled a laptop out from one of the drawers. The girls looked at each other in confusion as he typed. After a few moments he turned the laptop around until the screen was facing away from him, giving the group a clear view of what was displayed.

The man tapped the mouse pad and a video started playing. Maki recognized it immediately. The video was of their performance at the Love Live, obviously taken by a random person in the audience. The man remained silent until the video ended.

"You girls have a great deal of potential," he said, finally speaking up. His honeyed voice didn't match his outward appearance at all, and Maki felt a twinge of uncertainty.

"I can see what my talent scouts saw in you when they witnessed you perform. You possess great talent as a group, and I'm sure if you desired, any of you could prosper as individual idols as well. I must ask, which one of you is the center?"

Umi answered, "Um, well we don't really have an official center. In the past, we've tried to make sure everyone got a chance to be in that position."

"I see," the man folded his hands and rested his chin on top of them, using his elbows as support.

"Is that going to an be issue?" Kotori asked apprehensively.

"Not at all," the man answered. "In fact, that makes this a lot easier. We have some interesting things planned for you all. Of course, you'll be debuting as a group. We need to make sure the name u's spreads quickly. But once we've secured you a tighter position in the professional world, we'd like to split you up into mini idol units. Hearing that you all have at least some experience in a center position makes me confident that we'll be able to pull this off successfully."

"Split us up? Does that mean we won't be u's anymore?" Rin asked.

"That's not it at all," the man said. "Your official standing _will _be as the nine member idol group u's. Many groups have made branches, or units as we like to call them, off of their much larger group, and it's proven to be quite successful for a lot of them. You won't be losing your group, so don't worry."

Maki wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of branching off. Most of their experience was as group, and their whole reason for doing this was to make sure they could stay together. According to the manager, they would still be performing as u's, but how much time would they have to be split apart to work on the individual units? Is this really what they wanted?

The man introduced himself "My name is Hitoshi Kimura, and I'll be your manager. Please address me as Mr. Kimura. I'll be in charge of organizing all necessary facilities to help you train and grow as idols. Our team here at Shining Star Entertainment will be working around the clock to really get your name out there. My team and I deal strictly with business, so if you have any personal issues, please direct them to Yuka."

Kimura reached back into the drawer and pulled out an alarmingly large stack of papers. He broke down the stack into nine separate piles and pushed them towards the edge of the desk.

"This is all the necessary paperwork required to start your contract with us," Kimura explained. "Please take it home and go over it tonight. We start tomorrow at 8am sharp." With that, Kimura stood up, took a short rigid bow, and left the room.

One by one, the girls went over to grab their stack of paperwork. When Maki got a hold of hers, she quickly skimmed its contents. There were several pages explaining the terms of the contract, most of it being presented in professional terms, and since she was only a first year in high school, Maki struggled to understand some portions of the text. She made a mental note to ask her parents about it when she returned home.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Yuka said. "If not, you're free to return home for the day."

Umi and Eli immediately walked up to the agent and began firing off questions at a rapid pace. Maki's mouth turned slightly upward as she saw Yuka's surprised face and desperate attempt to keep up with the constant stream of questions. Maki considered asking a few of her own since a some things were still unclear to her, but her attention was quickly grabbed by a light tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, walk me home," Nico requested. "I want to talk to you."

Maki nodded. She pushed her questions to the back of her mind and bid farewell to the rest of the group. She left the room with Nico, who kept a couple of paces in front of her. Once out of the building, Nico spun around to face Maki.

"So, what do you think?" Nico asked.

"About the contract?" Maki questioned. Nico nodded.

"Well," Maki continued, "I think it could be a great experience for us. Though, to be honest, I'm a little worried about the mini idol units the manager was talking about. I mean, we all voted to do this so we could stay together. Doesn't this defeat the purpose?"

"Hmm, it shouldn't affect us too much," Nico replied. "All of the big idol groups I pay attention to have side units, and they still perform together all the time. Don't worry so much!" Nico threw her a thumbs up.

"If you say so," Maki mumbled. Nico knew way more about idols than she did, so it made sense to believe in what she was saying, but Maki couldn't ignore the prickling anxiety in her stomach.

"I do say so!" Nico said enthusiastically. "Plus, imagine if we got to be in the same unit! That would be twice the Nico nii for you! I'm sure you'd like that a lot." Nico grinned mischievously.

Maki blushed beet red and looked away, "It doesn't matter to me either way. All that matters is that we get to perform together again."

Maki knew that wasn't true, and she was rather sure Nico was aware of that as well . The best case scenario would involve placing her into the same unit as Nico, but her pride wouldn't allow her to openly admit that that was what she desired. If she managed to get what she wanted, she was sure any apprehension would completely disappear.

"If you say so," Nico said, lowering her voice to imitate Maki's.

Maki let out an exasperated sigh, "Alright, alright, enough of that."

Nico, her expression suddenly turning serious, said, "We're going to be fine, I promise. Whatever happens, we'll take it one day at a time. Even if we do end up in separate units, we'll still get to spend time together. Don't think for one second that I'll allow it to be any other way."

Maki nodded. She knew she was probably overreacting. A lot of new information was dumped on them today, so it wasn't incredibly surprising that some things were still unclear. Remembering Yuka's role as the one who would be listening to any and all personal issues, Maki felt the anxiety in her stomach wane, and she resolved to bring her questions to the older woman the following morning.

Maki felt Nico tug at her hand, "Come on, let's go home."


	3. Chapter 3

Maki staggered backward. The powerful presence in front of her was overwhelming, especially so early in the day. A tall, lean woman in front of them grinned at the group of girls. With her hands on her hips, the woman stood before them, her stance brimming with confidence. When they had arrived at the studio at 8:00, they were quickly brought to the third floor where most of their practices would be held.

As soon as they had entered the dance studio, the woman had greeted them enthusiastically, "Yo! You must be u's! I'm Hikari! I'll be your dance instructor! I'm looking forward to workin' with ya!"

Hikari's short, disheveled brown hair and glittering green eyes complimented her outgoing personality and friendly disposition. Her voice boomed above any others, and it was no less than startling upon first hearing it. Maki couldn't possibly begin to understand how the woman managed to muster up that kind of energy so early in the morning. Mornings always left Maki feeling lethargic and managing a simple greeting felt like a chore.

Their instructor talked with a Kansai dialect, which made some of her words difficult to understand, adding to the amount of petty annoyances the morning always brought. But Maki knew any misunderstanding or miscommunication could be rectified by spending enough time around her

"It's nice to meet you," Honoka said, taking a formal bow. "Um, we were only told to head up to the third floor, so none of us really know what we're supposed to be doing."

"No worries!" Hikari's boisterous laughter rang throughout the room. "The boss man gave me your schedule for today. Ya got a lot of dancin' planned, and I think you'll be havin' some kinda important meetin' later. That business stuff ain't my forte, so I don't really know. The schedule is posted over there. You can look if ya want."

Hikari point towards a billboard near the entrance of the room. There was a single piece of paper tacked onto it. A large water dispenser and a table with several energy drinks were sitting directly beside the billboard, likely placed there purposely to make sure people looked at their schedule during breaks.

The group shuffled towards the billboard, each girl eager to satiate their curiosity about the supposed schedule. Maki was one of the first to reach their destination, earning herself a spot right in front.

_8:00am-8:30am: Prep for Practice_

_8:30am-10:30am: Preliminary Practice_

_10:30am-11:00am: Break_

_11:00am-1:00pm: Preliminary Practice_

_1:00pm-1:30pm: Break_

_1:45pm-2:45pm: Debut Meeting 2F Room 203_

_3:00pm-6:00pm: Practice _

The schedule was packed. Maki could feel her jaw drop slowly as her eyes scanned the page. They had never experienced such an intense training schedule, even under Eli's command, and Maki was sure that many of them wouldn't have the stamina for it at their current level.

"What's preliminary practice?" Rin asked, cocking her head to the side as she read.

"Oh, that's mostly for my benefit to be honest," Hikari answered. "Of course, I've seen the videos of your past performances, but seein' it in person is real different. If I'm gonna be helpin' ya with the choreography, I'll need to see whatcha can do."

"This is quite a lot of practice time for something that's just preliminary," Eli mused. "Though my old ballet training sessions were as busy as this, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised considering we're entering a whole new level."

Hikari gave Eli a thumbs up, "Bingo! We gotta keep ya on your feet! Practicin' after school every day is great, but if ya wanna get even better, it'll take more than that!"

Maki had always felt like they had, for the most part, been rather serious about their practice, but despite that, they had still allowed themselves to slack occasionally because of the stress of schoolwork, and that didn't seem like it was something that would be tolerated within the professional idol industry.

Endurance had never been an issue for Maki in the past. She liked to make sure she stayed relatively fit, so she felt rather confident in her ability to keep up. Though she liked to keep her fitness in check, some of the others weren't as on top of it. Maki could tell by some of the nervous faces around that a few worried about their own abilities.

"Well, let's get started then! We have a lot of work to do!" Nico shouted. She put her hands on her hips, imitating the dance instructor's stance.

Hikari's laughter filled the room for a second time, "I like your fire! You'll make a great idol! The changin' room is over there. I'll wait for ya to get finish. But don't dawdle. If we don't keep to this schedule, my boss'll chew me out. " Hikari pointed towards a room near the entrance.

The girls turned around and made their way towards the changing room. Maki could hear Nozomi teasing Nico ahead of her.

"My my, I never truly understood your fiery passion until just today. You really _are _the number one idol in the universe! Please teach us your ways!" Nozomi pressed her palms together in a mocking plea.

"Oh shut up!"

Maki hid quiet laughter behind her hand, but it didn't go unnoticed. Rin and Hanayo, who had been walking together nearby, witnessed Maki's subtle display of amusement. Rin bounded over to Maki and flung her arms around the redhead's shoulders, gushing about the break in Maki's usually reserved demeanor. Suddenly energized by the company of her two closest friends, Maki walked into the changing room with a smile on her face.

It took the girls no more than ten minutes to change into clothes that were more suitable for a long dance practice. When they all regrouped back in the main room, the first thing they noticed was a whiteboard that had been wheeled in when they were gone. A list of all the songs they had performed in the past were scribbled on the face of the board in messy handwriting.

Hikari stood beside the whiteboard, "Alright girls, I've listed all the songs you've performed in a concert. I want ya to go through em one by one so I can see where you're at. Sound good?" The girls nodded their approval.

"Alright...you," Hikari pointed at Kotori. "Kotori, you choose the first song."

"M-Me?" Kotori stammered. "Well, um, I suppose we could start with Snow Halation. It wasn't too long ago that we performed it, so it should still be fairly fresh. It might be a good starting point..."

Hikari clapped her hands together, "Good! Get into formation! I'll play the music that accompanies each song from the speaker system. I want ya to treat this like it's a concert. Perform like ya mean it!"

It felt strange having someone who wasn't directly part of the group give commands, but Maki complied without a second thought. She moved to stage left and kneeled down. She pressed her hands together and waited for the music to start.

As the sound of the piano filled the room, Maki felt her arms move instinctively. She stood up slowly and once she heard Umi's, Nozomi's, and Honoka's voices begin the song, she followed Kotori as the older girl moved downstage and then back up.

Every movement felt familiar. The hours of practice spent learning this song had paid off, and Maki moved her body with confidence. Her heart beat rapidly, and she felt the exhilaration of performance course through her entire body. Being up on stage gave her a sense of empowerment, and she only hoped that she was able to get that feeling across with her performances.

Maki took a quick glance at their dancing instructor, curious to see the woman's reaction. The older woman's expression had turned serious as her eye's flitted around the dance floor, analyzing each and every movement the girls made. Maki suddenly felt immense pressure weigh down on her.

That sudden pressure caught her off guard, and Maki felt herself falter. A single misstep threw her slightly off beat, and Maki scrambled to regain her proper timing. Thankfully, she managed to recover quickly. Maki hoped that her small mistake had gone unnoticed by Hikari. She quickly glanced back over at the older woman, whose eyes had narrowed slightly.

Maki, in an effort to finish the song on a high point, kept the smile on her face and performed as though nothing happened. She completed her part without any other mistakes, much to her relief.

Once the music faded out, the girl's relaxed out of their ending poses. Their chests heaved up and down in an attempt to take in as much air as possible. They waited expectantly for their instructor to voice her thoughts.

"I'm impressed," Hikari began, "Ya definitely know how to handle yourselves up on stage. I could tell ya put a lot of effort into your practice. I was particularly impressed with Umi. Your form was practically perfect, and your performance was especially powerful since you spent most of the time at center stage. In fact, the three of ya, Umi, Nozomi, and Honoka, all of ya handled yourselves very well. Bravo."

Kotori linked arms with Umi, bringing herself close enough that their shoulders touched, "Great job, Umi! You always perform so magnificently, but today was especially amazing!" Kotori beamed up at Umi, who looked away, flustered by the sudden closeness.

"Thanks..." Umi mumbled. A faint blush colored her cheeks.

Hikari continued, "Though I do hafta say, the overall performance was definitely not perfect. Maki, ya stumbled a bit in the middle, but ya did manage to recover quickly. Kotori got off time as well. And Nico, ya looked very distracted by somethin'. It's nothin' that can't be fixed without a little more practice, so don't worry about it too much."

Maki felt her stomach drop when she heard her name mentioned, and she lowered her head in shame. She muttered a quick "sorry". It was embarrassing to mess up right after feeling so confident in her abilities.

"Alright, let's move on!" Hikari announced, "We can come back to this later. I wanna be able to see ya perform everything, and since time is of the essence, we can't afford to spend a lotta time on one song."

The girl's worked their way through their past songs. Hikari, taking a more active role, shouted words of encouragement or criticism as they performed. The task of performing in front of a person who scrutinized their every move turned out to be way more exhausting than Maki had anticipated, and no amount of fitness training had prepared her for it.

As they neared their second hour, Maki felt her body long for a moments rest away from the long and arduous practice. Hikari kept them on their feet, the small pauses in between songs not being nearly enough to relieve her fatigued muscles, and Maki was already feeling the stark contrast between the practices they held on the rooftop of Otonokizaka Academy and the one they were experiencing now.

Just as Maki started to feel like she was about to collapse, Hikari signaled that it was time for their thirty minute break. Every girl in the room sighed in relief.

Maki stumbled towards the table that held the energy drinks and grabbed one with her shaky hands. She sat herself down on the ground and took several large gulps. Feeling refreshed, Maki leaned all the way back until she was lying face up on the floor.

She stared at the ceiling, her eyes squinting to lessen the intensity of the lights shining down on her. She felt a faint prickle of annoyance as her mind went through the last two hours of practice. Despite performing quite well for a majority of the time, even earning herself words of praise from their instructor at some point, her misstep at the very beginning still bothered her.

Maki tilted her head to the side as she felt someone sit beside her. Nico stretched out next to her, leaning back on her arms for support.

"I just downed five cups of water," Nico groaned. "I feel nauseous..."

"Be more careful," Maki said, "You're going to make yourself sick, and we still have a lot more work to do today." Nico only groaned in response.

After a few moments of silence, Nico spoke up again," So how's practice going for you? There's not much resting time in between songs, so I couldn't ask you before."

"Pretty good, I think," Maki replied, "I can't stop thinking about how I messed up in the beginning, though. It was a little embarrassing."

Nico closed her eyes and gave a lazy reply, not fully paying attention to what she was saying, "Hmm, I wouldn't worry too much about it. You recovered fast, and you looked good during the rest of practice. Though you always looks good in my opinion. Apparently stealing glances to look at you made me seem too distracted. Oh well..."

Maki shot up into a sitting position, her face burning from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "D-Don't say such embarrassing things out loud when everyone else is around! Geez, Nico!" The tiny girl looked at Maki, her eyes clouded with confusion.

Nico's eyes widened once she registered what she had said, and her cheeks took on their own shade of pink, "It wasn't that embarrassing! I was just complimenting you! It's only embarrassing because you're making a big deal out of it!"

"I'm not making a big deal out of it!"

"You are!"

Maki crossed her arms. Her lower lip stuck slightly out in a small pout. Nico scooted closer to Maki and nudged her with her shoulder. Maki, refusing to make eye contact with the older girl, turned her head away. Nico's nudges were persistent and didn't cease until Maki relented and looked over at her.

"You may have looked good, but I looked even better," Nico said, keeping her voice down. With a straight face, Nico put her hands up in her traditional pose and stuck her tongue out. Maki lost her inner battle to keep the corners of her mouth from turning upward.

Nico, seeing Maki's small smile, grinned widely and shoved Maki more roughly with her shoulder. Maki pushed back, and the two girls erupted into soft laughter.

Many things had changed when they began their relationship, but the little spats between them was one thing that hadn't. The only difference was that they took them a lot less seriously, and Maki found it easy to laugh them off with Nico. She suspected that those spats would always come naturally to the both of them, so she was glad they were both able to find humor out of them. After all, it was the tension that resulted from those little meaningless arguments that drew them to each other in the first place.

"At least I didn't kiss you," Nico pointed out, "Now _that_ would have been a shock to you. If we had been alone, you wouldn't have reacted that way. You're way more forward when no one else is around." Maki nodded. Displays of affection, platonic or romantic, were unbearably embarrassing for her when other people witnessed them. The thought of making their relationship more well known made Maki's heart race.

"Our relationship is relatively low key," Nico continued. "Unlike some people I know." Nico threw a sideways glance at Nozomi and Eli, who were chatting idly near the water dispenser.

"Are they even dating?"

Nico shrugged, "They're probably married." For some reason, Maki didn't find that too hard to believe, though in the back of her mind she knew it wasn't true. Not yet at least.

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud clapping of their instructor calling them back to practice. Maki groaned as she stood up, her muscles screaming in protestation of the sudden movement. She walked over with Nico to meet the others in the middle of the room.

The group began the second stage of their preliminary practice at a much slower pace. Their fatigued muscles made it hard for them to keep in time, so Hikari, growing tired of seeing every girl move at different paces, made each one perform various segments of their songs on their own in order to critique them more effectively. No one managed to get away without a single criticism, and oftentimes, Hikari had to step in to make small adjustments to their stances and poses.

Maki was surprised how different their instructor was when it came to choreography. The easygoing demeanor they were greeted with at the beginning of the day had completely disappeared and had been replaced with a no nonsense attitude. It was slightly intimidating at first, but Maki grew to appreciate it. It showed how serious the woman was about improving u's. They were in capable hands.

They were only an hour into their second practice session when a man entered the room. Maki didn't remember ever seeing him before. He held a piece of paper in hands and he stood awkwardly by the entrance. He looked jittery, as though he were anxious to leave as quickly as possible. Maki waved her hands to catch Hikari's attention, and then pointed towards the man.

"What can I do for ya?" Hikari shouted once she noticed his presence.

The man bowed slightly, "I'm very sorry for the disturbance, but something important came up, and I was asked to deliver this to you." He held out the paper, and Hikari jogged over to retrieve it from him.

"It lists all the topics that were going to be covered in today's meeting plus any additional information that just came up," he continued, "The manager had to cancel it, due to an unforeseen incident, but he wanted to make sure all necessary information was brought to you all. Please go over it thoroughly." The man bowed once more and scurried out of the room.

"Geez, those business suits go on and on about their damn schedules, but they can't seem to abide by it themselves..." Hikari mumbled to herself as she read the paper's contents.

"What happened? With the incident, I mean," Hanayo asked.

"Oh, I dunno," Hikari answered. "It might hafta do with this new relationship scandal in one of their major groups. They're real sticklers about that sorta stuff."

Maki felt antsy. She jogged slowly in place to calm her suddenly energized limbs. She knew these types of scandals were huge in mainstream media, and she silently prayed that any negative attention like that would stay far away from her and her friends.

"Well, judgin' by what's written here, somethin' big happened," Hikari said, "They want ya to debut with an existin' song. Somethin' is causin' some major time restraints, so they had to move your debut concert to...next weekend?"

Next weekend seemed way too close. Maki was still getting used to practicing in a professional environment. Now they were suddenly being thrown straight into their first concert.

"Wow... that's so close," Kotori said, "Is there enough time to practice before then?"

"I'm pretty sure that's why they want ya to use an existin' song," Hikari explained, "It'll take significantly less time to prep ya for that. Plus, ya already made lotsa progress today, so I'm sure you'll be fine. Now all that's left is to choose a song."

"If you don't mind, I have a request!" Honoka announced. "I'd like to perform No Brand Girls at our debut concert!" Maki was slightly taken aback at the speed in which Honoka gave her request.

U's had performed No Brand Girls at the rooftop of their school, and to say that it hadn't ended on the highest note would have be an understatement. Honoka had collapsed right after they finished the song, which had ended their concert prematurely. Now that Maki thought about it, it wasn't surprising that Honoka suggested that particular song.

"That would be quite the ironic performance," Nozomi said. "After all, we're no longer a school idol group. We signed on with an entertainment company. We're going to be building a name for ourselves."

"That's true..." Honoka agreed, "But I want to be able to sing that song even better than last time. I worried you all by collapsing from my fever, and you weren't able to enjoy the feeling of performance to its full potential. I want to be able to sing that song with confidence that it'll turn out incredible and amaze our audience. I want to give a performance worthy of the song created by all of my friends!"

"I'm in favor of using No Brand Girls as our debut song," Maki said, throwing an approving smile in Honoka's direction, "It might sound a little strange considering our circumstances, but that shouldn't matter. I can already feel the passion radiating from Honoka, so our passion alone should be more than enough to make our concert a huge success."

"Maki..." Honoka said, welling up with emotion. "Thank you!" She hugged Maki tightly and rubbed her cheek against the redhead's.

"Off! Get off," Maki struggled to push the second year off of her, her face red from embarrassment. The girls around them giggled at the display of gratitude, and one by one, each girl expressed their approval of the song choice. No Brand Girls would be their first official concert song.

"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get to practicin'!" Hikari said once the group calmed down, "We got a week to improve this, so there's no time to waste!" The group, fueled by their newly founded determination, steeled themselves for the long hours of practice ahead.

They trained with minimal breaks, and by the time the clock hit 6:00, Maki could barely feel her legs. As much fun as the practice had turned out to be once they had found a set goal, she was thankful to finally be relieved from the strenuous workout.

Maki head towards the changing room with a feeling of accomplishment. Even though they had already poured hours into practice for this song during their school days, their instructor still found ways to improve their overall performance. Maki walked away feeling as though she had really learned something new, and that feeling was incredibly satisfying.

Inside the changing room, Maki bumped into Nico, who had entered a few minutes prior.

"Man, that was quite the workout," Nico commented, "It'll definitely take time to get used to that. Hikari told me that the schedule changes every day depending on what's going on within the entirety of the company. She said it was possible that we'd get even more practice hours tacked on once we start working on new songs. That's going to be a pain..."

"Yeah, but maybe by then we'll have gotten used to working more frequently," Maki said. She assumed that the daily hours of long practice would work wonders on the group's endurance levels.

"That's true, but that's not what was worrying me," Nico sighed. "You already know how my mama is constantly working, so I'm usually put in charge of taking care of my siblings. I'm a little worried that these schedules will prevent me from caring for them properly. I'm just glad we didn't get out too late today. I still have time to make dinner."

Maki admired Nico's drive to continue on with her past responsibilities despite this enormous change in her life. It would undoubtedly be difficult to manage both at once, and Maki certainly didn't envy that level of responsibility.

"You know," Maki started, "If you're ever in need of some extra hands, I'd be willing to help. It's a lot to handle with just one person, so maybe I could be of some assistance."

"That's alright. I don't want to drag you into anything."

Nico was an incredibly proud individual, so it was unsurprising that she didn't outright accept the offer of help. Unfortunately, it was that pride that often led Nico into stressful situations.

Before Maki could reply, Nico continued, "Thanks though. I appreciate the offer." Nico looked up at Maki, a genuinely grateful smile on her face. Nico looked around quickly, and confident that no one was watching them, she planted a light kiss on Maki's cheek.

"Ill text you later." Nico flashed her a grin and trotted out of the changing room.

Maki watched her, stunned by the sudden display of affection. She placed a hand on her cheek, a smile forming at her lips. This was definitely going to be a difficult journey for all of them, but with Nico's and everyone else's support, she was confident she'd be able handle it. Maki gathered her remaining things and headed home for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

The stage loved attention. In fact, it demanded it. Prettied up in an extravagant costume of various lights, it stood, waiting for the next worthy person to make use of it. The lights beamed down on the face of the stage, as though they were trying to imitate the radiance of the sun, illuminating the scratches and nicks it bore from repeated use. The stage wore these imperfections proudly, for it knew the brilliance of whatever it would present that day would overshadow anything.

Rows upon rows of empty seats, soon to hold thousands of expectant and excited faces, sat before the grand stage. The stage would demand their utmost attention, and in return, it would provide its loyal audience with flawless entertainment; it was a contract forged through the mutual respect between performer and spectator.

This well known cycle was daunting to even those with the strongest of nerves, and Maki could feel her knees shake as she gazed upon what would be the setting of their debut concert.

The week had flown by, most of their time having been devoted to meticulously practicing No Brand Girls, and now μ's had stepped foot on their largest stage so far. The venue could hold tens of thousands of people, and judging by the popularity of other idol groups working under Shining Star Entertainment, it wasn't crazy to expect many of the seats to be filled.

Maki swallowed a lump in her throat as Yuka showed them around the venue. They were scheduled to perform at 9:00 that night after the main groups were done, so they only had a few hours to prepare themselves. Maki clenched her fists and took deep breaths, trying to calm her frazzled nerves.

Yuka brought them to a small room backstage that would serve as their changing area. The outfits they had used when they first performed No Brand Girls hung on hangers in the back of the room.

"I think I've shown you everything you needed to see," Yuka said, "You'll be following the performances of some of our really well known groups, so I highly recommend that you take some time on stage right now to get a proper feel for it. That's always helped our idols in the past."

With a smile, Yuka waved them goodbye and walked out of room. As soon as the rest of the μ's members were sufficiently distracted by the contents of their changing area, Maki slipped out of the room, and made her way towards the stage. She bowed her head politely as she passed several men and woman who were working on making sure everything was in place for that night's concert.

Upon reaching her destination, she paused, taking time to glance out at the stage. At the moment, it was completely empty. Maki took small, apprehensive steps out onto the massive stage. She inched her way towards the center, her eyes fixed on the thousands of empty seats that sat beyond the stage. How many people would show up? Maki knew their group had gained some popularity by winning the Love Live, and the advertising team for the company had apparently spread the word everywhere, but in this world filled with so many talented groups, would they be able to stand out? Would μ's be able to be as successful as they wanted?

Maki shook her head. There wasn't a point in worrying about those kinds of things so soon after they started. Maki wanted nothing more than for her friends to be successful at whatever the endeavored to do, but letting her love for her friends drive her into worry wouldn't help anyone.

"We've come really far, haven't we?" Maki heard Nico's voice from behind her. Nico approached Maki until she stood right beside her. Maki smiled slightly. It appeared she hadn't slipped away completely unnoticed.

"Yeah, we have," Maki replied, "I'm amazed we're even standing here right now. Before all of this happened, the idea of standing on a stage this magnificent seemed so... strange. But here we are, just a few hours away from our first major performance. I can scarcely believe it." Nico hummed in agreement.

"I don't like to talk about this much," Nico mumbled, "But there was a time when I thought I'd never actually make it. After my first idol group left me, I was really down for a long time. I just sat alone in the Idol Research Club room every day after school. I had been so excited at the thought of achieving my dream that I had grasped at it too tightly, killing it slowly in the process. It's my fault they left. I hindered my own progress."

Maki stared at the tiny girl, her eyes wide, her body frozen in place. She could see Nico's face flush, and the older girl's gaze darted everywhere but Maki's direction. It had never been easy for Nico to talk about emotionally heavy events that were cemented so firmly in her memory. Maki's chest tightened as she felt emotion well up within her.

"I grew to accept the likelihood of me never achieving my dream," Nico continued, "I branded myself in the world of idols as someone who would never be anything more than just a spectator. It was...hard on me. I focused on my passion for idols by supporting them in any way that I could, and since no one else shared that same passion, I was lonely. And then I met you... I met all of you, and now here we are..." Nico's voice trailed off.

A tender smile graced Maki's lips, admiration pooling in her eyes. Seeing Nico's willingness to talk so openly about something that had obviously impacted her severely filled Maki with pride. She saw Nico peek over at her, and upon noticing Maki's expression, the twin tailed girl's face burned bright red.

"O-Of course, this wasn't a surprising development at all!" Nico stammered, hiding behind her cocky front, "Nico-nii was born to be an idol, so I don't know why I ever thought I wouldn't end up here! I'm the number one idol in the universe, after all! Once the world sees me perform, they'll all love me!"

"They will," Maki affirmed, flashing an uncharacteristically toothy grin, "They'll all get to see you shine up there tonight, and they'll absolutely love you."

Nico's eyes widened slightly, and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, words failing to form.

Nico spun around quickly, her back to Maki, and mumbled, "Now _you're _the one who's being embarrassing..."

Maki, her body moving on its own, stepped closer to Nico and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist. She rested her head on Nico's shoulder and tightened her embrace.

"You're being surprisingly affectionate for someone who gets embarrassed by the slightest bit of PDA," Nico grumbled. Maki let out a breathy laugh.

"You've worked really hard," Maki whispered into Nico's ear, her voice dripping with affection for the girl in her embrace, "I'm proud of you." Maki felt Nico lean into her. The older girl's small hands grasped Maki's forearms and squeezed, and Maki could of sworn she heard a quiet "thanks" come from the older girl.

Maki heard someone clear their voice. She looked up and noticed Eli standing a few feet away, her arms crossed, her weight shifted to one side. Catching Maki's eyes, she nodded knowingly, a soft smile on her face. Maki removed her arms from around Nico's waist. In the moment, she had forgotten that they were far from being alone. Maki looked away, trying to conceal her reddening cheeks.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're all about to gather up to prep for tonight's concert," Eli announced, "We want to go through a few things on stage before the concert starts, so I just wanted to make sure you two were aware in case you weren't expecting...interruption." Maki felt as though her face were on fire. She crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the floor.

"T-There was nothing to interrupt!" Nico protested, "Why are the rest of them still backstage anyway?"

"We're having some...difficulties getting some of the members to come out here," Eli answered. Maki cocked her head to the side. She saw no good reason why some of her friends would refuse to come on stage. Noticing their confused faces, Eli beckoned for them to follow.

Backstage, Maki spotted Umi clinging desperately to the door frame of their changing room. Kotori tugged tirelessly at Umi's waist, but her vain effort proved useless as Umi sustained her iron grip.

"Umi, please let go! It won't be that bad! I promise!" Kotori pled, "You've performed lots of times before, and you did great! This time won't be any different."

"I can't..." Umi groaned, "There's going to be so many people staring at me... We've never performed in front of so many people before... I can't..." Umi visibly shuddered and tightened her grip on the doorframe.

"Honoka, help me!" Kotori requested, throwing a frantic glance over at her friend. Honoka rushed over, and gripping Kotori's waist, she tugged with as much strength as she could muster.

"Y-You'll be okay, U-Umi," Hanayo stuttered. "I-It's normal to b-be nervous before a p-performance." The brown haired girl slowly backed further into the depths of the small room.

"Aw not you too, Kayochin!" Rin darted behind Hanayo and forcibly pushed her back towards the entrance of the room, a wide grin on her face. "I won't let you run away! You're going to go out there tonight and show everyone how cute you are!"

Kotori and Honoka relentlessly tried to remove Umi from the doorframe, but it was to no avail, and they eventually collapsed on the ground, their arms weak from exhaustion. Hanayo, succumbing to her own bout of nervousness, pushed back against Rin's offensive tactics, who laughed in delight at the sudden resistance.

Maki pinched the bridge of her nose, "How did we ever manage to come this far? This group is full of idiots..." The blonde girl standing beside her chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck.

Nozomi, a noticeable twinkle in her eyes, stepped into the middle of the chaos, "Now, now ladies. This won't do. This won't do at all. I can't allow my juniors to act in such a stubborn, rebellious way. If you don't shape up, I'll have to punish you." Nozomi extended her arms in front of her, making grabbing motions with her hands.

Umi and Hanayo, both familiar with the type of punishment Nozomi had in mind, stood up straight and marched swiftly in the direction of the stage, not bothering to spare even a single glance at the rest of the members.

"That goes for the rest of you as well," Nozomi smiled mischievously. With nervous laughter, the rest of the members of μ's followed Umi and Hanayo. Maki walked with fervency, eager to put significant distance between her and the touchy feely girl.

"Not that Elicchi would mind receiving that punishment." Maki heard Nozomi snicker behind her. She heard Eli choke on air in response.

"Nozomi!"

* * *

"Alright girl's, gather 'round," Hikari, who had arrived a few minutes before they had gathered dressed up and ready to go, waved them over, "Ya only got a few minutes till ya head on stage. Before ya go on, I wanna stress one really important thing. We've talked about this a couple times before, but I wanna make sure ya know how important your beginnin' introductions are."

Maki remembered Nico talking about idol introductions one day during practice on the rooftop of Otonokizaka Academy. They were used for the sole purpose of establishing a connection between the idol and the audience. Those in the crowd were more likely to respond positively to idols who gave a strong introduction.

Maki fiddled with the belt on her outfit. She wasn't good with introducing herself to people. Her generally introverted nature often caused her to retreat into her shell, something that wouldn't end well in front of an important audience. The palms of Maki's hands were wet with sweat, and a dull throbbing ache settled in her head. How would she pull this off?

"Make sure ya give it your all," Hikari continued, "First impressions are real important if ya wanna be successful in the idol industry. You'll be walkin' out from stage left, so make sure you're in the right position for the beginnin' of the song right from the start. That means you'll be headin' on stage first, Maki. Honoka will start off the introductions, and then you'll go down the line from stage left to stage right."

Maki sighed. She was going first on stage and last in introductions, so whatever she ended up doing would definitely stick in the audience's minds.

"All right! You're headin' on in a few minutes so I'll leave it there! Good luck!" With that, Hikari wandered off further backstage.

After what felt like only a few mere seconds since Hikari had left them, one of the men working backstage signaled for them to proceed onstage. With a deep breath, Maki took the first step forward.

The lights on the stage were borderline blinding now that the night sky shrouded everything else in darkness, and it took a few seconds for Maki's eyes to adjust. As she walked across the stage, the cheering voices of the crowd drew her gaze towards the audience.

The stadium was packed with people, most equipped with glow sticks of various colors. Maki's breath came out in short, rapid bursts. She stood in her position at stage right, her heart thumping and her knees trembling.

"Hello everyone!" Maki heard Honoka start, "We're the idol group μ's! Some of you may have seen us perform at the Love Live, but tonight, we're debuting as a full fledged professional idol group! I'm Honoka Kousaka, and I hope you enjoy the song we wrote from deep within our hearts!"

The sounds of wild cheers filled the stadium. One by one, the girl's went down the line introducing themselves.

"I-I'm Umi Sonoda, and I-I'll shoot right through your hearts! Love arrow, shoot!" Umi drew her arm back to imitate the motion of pulling a bowstring. Realizing she had taken on her fantasy idol persona in front of thousands of people, Umi froze in place, her eyes wide in dismay. The crowd roared in appreciation for Umi's cutesy display as she buried her face in her hands.

They continued down the line, each girl receiving loud support from the members of the audience. Maki fought to sort through the endless stream thoughts that flew through her mind. She still had little idea of what she would say when it was finally her turn. As each one of her friends gave a successful introduction, Maki felt less and less confident in her own ideas. What could she do to make a good first impression?

When it hit Nico's turn, Maki let herself stray away from her worries to observe her girlfriend in action.

Nico stepped forward, "Nico-Nico-nii! I'm Nico Yazawa and I'll Nico-nii your heart!" Nico put her fingers together in a heart shape, put her hands near her heart, and then extended her arms out towards the audience. There was a deafening round of applause and cheers from the crowd as Nico stepped back into position. Maki caught Nico's eyes, who beamed back at her, and nodded in approval.

Should she come up with an idol persona like Nico? It was received well, but there was no time left for her to think about one, and Maki was unconfident in her ability to come up with one on the spot. She internally kicked herself for not taking Nico's idol lessons seriously.

Before she could think of any other solutions, it was her turn, and Maki stepped forward. Without thinking it through, she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm Maki Nishikino. Thanks for coming out tonight. Enjoy the show and make sure you pay attention!" She flipped her hair on her right side and stepped backwards, her hands placed firmly on her hips and her weight shifted to one side. Maki held her breath as she waited for the audience to react.

Applause. Maki saw Nico throw her a grin and give her a subtle thumbs up. Maki released the breath she was holding, and she felt tension leave her neck and shoulders. That hadn't been too bad.

A quick signal from Honoka moved the group into formation, their backs turned away from the audience. Maki struck her beginning pose, her right hand on her hip and her left raised straight in the air. As the music started, she shifted her weight to the other side, her left hand now on her hip and her right hand out to the side with her palm facing up. Excitement budded in her chest.

So far so good. A steady beat had each girl jump in place, eventually moving in a full 180 until they faced the audience. She clasped hands with Kotori. Jump. Maki moved towards the back as Kotori circled her, and spun clockwise until she was directly behind Nico. Maki, her earlier worry completely draining from her body, felt a familiar rush of exhilaration. She opened her mouth, and her velvety voice floated across the stage, beginning the first verse of the song.

As Maki made her way towards the front of the stage, a genuine smile formed on her face. Nico's voice rang in her ears, warming her heart and fueling the excitement running through her veins, as she struck various poses.

Maki's body moved easily, muscle memory working in her favor. She channeled as much energy as she could into every move she made. She mirrored Nozomi, who stood across from her, thrusting her hips to the side. She spun around, her back now facing the audience, and repeated the same motion.

Maki twirled back around to the front, and shot her fist into the air enthusiastically as they hit the chorus. She felt unadulterated giddiness in every inch of her body, a feeling that couldn't be replicated offstage. That sensation only accompanied Maki when she could absorb herself in music, and it was one of the few things that made her feel truly alive. This feeling was why she was an idol.

Maki released every ounce of energy she had built up throughout the performance as they reached the last leg of the song. With a few more arm thrusts into the air and energetic twirls, Maki landed in her final position. As the song came to an end, Maki struck her last pose, a wave satisfaction crashing through her. The lights dimmed, signaling the end of their performance.


	5. Chapter 5

Maki watched Hikari as the older woman hooked her laptop to a cable connecting to a projector that hung from the ceiling of the dance room. Maki sat herself down next to Nico, who was sitting amongst the rest of the group. They had been called in that afternoon despite having been given the day off, it had something to do with the previous night's concert, and now the girls sat huddled on the floor of the dance studio, waiting patiently.

Maki rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, the excitement following the concert being too much for her to be able to settle down, and Maki was starting to feel the exhaustion. She wished for nothing more than the opportunity to just pass out where she was sitting.

"You okay?" Maki heard Nico ask.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"Yeah, me too. When I got home last night, Mama was waiting with my brother and sisters. She was sad that she couldn't make it to the concert because of her work, so she decided to throw a little celebration. We were up really late last night."

Maki glanced over at Nico. The older girl smiled back at her, dark circles under her eyes and strands of hair sticking out every which way on the top of her head. Her clothes were wrinkled and disheveled. She looked liked someone who had overslept and just had enough time to roll out of bed before having to leave. Perhaps that's what actually happened. Maki fought back a smile.

"I'm glad you had fun," Maki said, grabbing the other girls hand with her own.

"Thanks. I'll invite you next time." Nico's small hand squeezed Maki's tightly. "I wonder why we had to come in today though. I thought today was supposed to be a rest day."

"That's what I'm here to explain to ya!" Hikari interrupted. "While normally we do allow our idols a day off after a concert, the first one is always a special case! Whenever a new group is announced, the media makes a big fuss about it. New groups get lotsa coverage after a debut concert, so we like to have our idols gather up to see what the people are sayin' about em!"

"Couldn't we just do that from home?" Umi asked. "It seems like a waste to come into the studio just to look at content that could easily be viewed from our own houses." Several of the girls mumbled their agreement. It seemed as though Maki wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects of their debut concert.

"That's true, but that's not the only reason we called ya in this afternoon," Hikari explained. "Oftentimes, this is where we really solidify a group's direction. We use the feedback given after the first concert as a sort of waypoint. It helps us figure out the best way to help ya proceed. I'm sure the manager will wanna have a chat with ya later on about all this."

"Can you really know all that after just one concert?" Nozomi asked. "Wow... The fans must really know their stuff if you place that much trust in their opinions."

Hikari nodded, "You'd be surprised how many issues have arisen simply 'cause we didn't listen to feedback early enough. We wanna nip any concerns in the bud before they become real problems."

It seemed to make sense. Maki found an odd comfort in knowing how serious the company was about making sure their idols were successful. She wasn't entirely confident in the real reasons behind the scramble to make a solid group as fast as possible, but at least it provided the perfect window of opportunity to get μ's going.

Hikari grabbed a remote from beside her laptop, and pointing the remote up towards the projector, she pressed down on one of the buttons. The image of Hikari's laptop background filled nearly half of the wall in front of them. She pulled a website up onscreen. The title caught Maki's eye: Idol Spotlight.

"This website is dedicated to all things idol related," Hikari explained. "Not one professional group in the country has gone unreported by these guys, so if ya girls are smart, and I know ya are, you'll familiarize yourself with it. There isn't a single idol fan that doesn't frequent this site."

The less idol savvy member's of μ's simultaneously turned their heads to look at Nico, and then over to Hanayo.

"Yeah, I know of this site," Nico said. "It's where I go to get all my idol related news. These guys are a big deal. If anyone knows idols best, it's them."

Hanayo nodded her head vigorously in agreement, "Nico's right. They've been hugely influential in the idol world, and I've heard they've formed some serious ties with major companies. They're true idol masters! To think that we might be getting attention from them is just too good to be true!" Hanayo let out a squeal, falling into the arms of the giggling Rin beside her.

"It's not 'ya might be gettin' coverage', you are," Hikari said. "They posted a video earlier this morning about your concert. I want ya to watch it. Take in everything they say, the good and the bad. Remember, this whole thing isn't only about ya. An idol's job is to bring a smile to faces of her fans, and if there's somethin' that's makin' em unhappy, fix it."

Maki heard Nico sniffle next to her, "Finally, someone who understands the important role of an idol..." Nico stared at Hikari teary-eyed.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Maki patted Nico's back gently.

Hikari dimmed the lights and pressed the play button on the video. Two male reporters, who looked to be in their early twenties, sat at a desk. They were dressed nicely, both wearing what looked to be like expensive suits. The atmosphere in the video was similar to an actual news set. It looked professional, like something one would see if they turned on the early morning news.

Suddenly feeling nervous, Maki's heart raced, and she tightened her grip on Nico's hand. She felt the older girl return her squeeze, and Nico's thumb traced small circles on the top of her hand.

"Good morning everyone," the first reporter began. "Shining Star Entertainment is at it again with yet another concert spotlighting a new group. We had the pleasure of attending last night's concert, and I must say, it was quite the experience."

"Agreed," the second reporter chimed in, "There's been many idols that have worked under this company, and not all have been successful. With the past few groups they've debuted not meeting standards, I'm sure they have a lot riding on this new group."

This was news to Maki. She didn't know much about Shining Star Entertainment apart from the fact that they trained many successful groups. She never took the time to really sit down and research them. The sudden knowledge of the company's past failures made Maki uncomfortable and she shifted in her seat in an attempt to get rid of the feeling. If that was true, and there was no reason to believe it wasn't, that would put a lot of pressure on μ's.

The first reporter continued, "Indeed. They showed off some of their well known groups in the beginning, and I think that was quite successful. The audience really felt the hype, and they were completely fired up. I have to say, I was too. Once their new group took stage, I was pumped up and very excited to see what they would bring to the show. I believe the new group was μ's, correct? They were the ones that emerged victorious at the Love Live."

The second reporter nodded, "That's correct. You're more familiar with school idols than I am, so I personally was a little worried considering the recent track record of Shining Star Entertainment, but seeing μ's perform left me pleasantly surprised. They really are a charming group of girls, full of energy and charisma."

"I'd thank their past experience for that," the first reporter said, "Since μ's started out as a school idol group, they've had time to practice some of the key aspects of being an idol. They looked quite comfortable up on stage, for the most part. Let's pull up a recording of their performance so we can show our audience."

The men onscreen were replaced by a clip of the μ's' performance at the concert. It felt strange watching themselves dance on such a big stage. It reminded Maki of how far they had truly come. In her opinion, they had performed to the best of their abilities. She was curious to see if it really lived up to the reporter's expectations.

The clip disappeared and the reporters faces were in view once again, "As you could probably see, this group is already looking a lot more experienced than past groups presented. Shining Star Entertainment usually pulls groups together from people they find at auditions, so I think that scouting from the school idol pool was an incredibly smart move on their part."

"Agreed." the second reporter nodded his head. "It wasn't the best dancing I had ever seen, but I think their personalities and general stage presence made up for any small mistakes during their performances. There were a couple that really stood out. Let me pull up their names so I don't get this wrong." The man shuffled the papers on the desk, looking for something specific.

"I'd have to agree with you wholeheartedly," the first reporter looked down at the piece of paper his companion laid in front of him. "Umi Sonoda, Rin Hoshizora, Nico Yazawa; they had some of the most memorable introductions I had seen in a long while. Their cuteness levels were through the roof, and it had my heart absolutely racing."

Maki heard Hanayo speak up, "Way to go, Rin! I knew everyone would recognize your cuteness!" Maki looked over at Rin who was rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Rin's eyes betrayed her outward display of shyness as they sparkled with happiness. Umi, who was sitting near the other two, had her face buried in her hands, the tips of her ears visibly red.

Maki opened her mouth to give her own congratulations to her girlfriend, but she closed it abruptly when she noticed Nico doubled over and shaking lightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Maki asked, removing her hand from Nico's grip and placing it on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Nico whispered. "I just need a moment. I'm suddenly feeling very...emotional."

"I told you they would like you," Maki said, a smile forming at her lips. She rubbed Nico's back comfortingly. Nico simply nodded her head in response.

"Hey! Pay attention, everyone," Maki heard their instructor yell. She turned her attention back to the video being displayed on the wall. Her ears perked up as she heard her name mentioned.

"...and Maki Nishikino," the second reporter spoke, "Their voices were incredibly powerful. I got chills down my spine when I heard some of the notes those girls hit." Maki's eyes widened. She hadn't expected any aspect of her performance to be targeted for praise.

"Yeah," the first reporter nodded his head in agreement. "But powerful voices, surprisingly enough, can pose some issues, especially in large groups. They often overshadow some of the gentler ones, so it can be hard to distinguish any other voice besides those particular ones. It's a real shame when the strength behind certain voices make others seem, and I hate to put it this way, forgettable."

The lights in the dance studio suddenly turned back on. Hikari immediately paused the video and gestured towards the entrance of the room. Maki turned her head and noticed Kimura enter the room, Yuka right at his side.

"And therein lies the only problem," Kimura said, his smooth voice filling the room. "You girls have proven your talent again and again in past performances, but something still isn't right. I believe the men you just heard talking illustrated the issue quite well."

Kimura held out his right arm, and Yuka placed a small piece of paper in his hands. The man's eyes scanned the paper. Maki instinctively shrunk back. Their manager was just as intimidating as he was before.

"When I call your name, please come over and stand at my left," Kimura said, finally looking up from the small piece of paper. "Honoka Kousaka, Kotori Minami, Hanayo Koizumi." With looks of confusion on their faces, the three girls picked themselves up and moved over to the spot they were directed to.

"Now," Kimura continued. "When I call your name, I want you to stand directly in front of me; Umi Sonoda, Rin Hoshizora, Nozomi Toujou. The ones whose names I did not call, please stand to my right."

Each girl moved to their position. Maki stood, with Eli and Nico at either side, awaiting further instruction. Maki wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Apparently Kimura was trying to fix a problem, but what exactly would be requested of them to fulfill that? Most of their experience so far was as a unit of nine, only slimming down the numbers when completely necessary, so what exactly needed to be done to rectify what was apparently a flaw in their group?

"The guys at Idol Spotlight aren't the only ones who brought up that point," Kimura said, folding his hands behind his back. "We had our community team, the ones that focus solely on interacting with fans, check what the world was saying about you. And don't me wrong, a large majority of the chatter about you girls was positive, but I worry about idol bias."

"Idol bias?" Kotori questioned, "What do you mean?"

"He means certain members of groups sometimes net more popularity than others," Nico explained, "Sometimes particular sections of groups get all the attention, either due to attractiveness or higher skill levels, and sometimes they end up leaving their group to pursue their own work. It completely destroys the dynamic of the group, and the girls who are left behind often struggle to continue successfully."

Hanayo chimed in, "It's one of the brutal realities of the idol industry. But I never considered that it might pose a threat to us as well..."

"That wouldn't happen!" Honoka protested. "None of us would abandon μ's, no matter how popular we got! We're doing this for each other, so that definitely won't happen to us!"

Maki wanted to believe that, but she knew a few of them had set high goals for themselves, and more often than not, dreams that resonated strongly in the hearts of people would drive them to achieve that dream no matter the cost. When more opportunities arose, would her friends really abandon their aspirations all for the sake of friendship?

"That's why I had my team work out a solution that will undoubtedly work. Yuka, if you would please go over the details." Kimura gestured towards Yuka.

"Very well," Yuka stepped forward, "Honoka, Kotori, Hanayo; you now form the idol subunit Printemps. Umi, Rin, Nozomi; you are now Lily White. And finally, Maki, Eli, Nico; you three are BiBi. These three groups will be the idol subunits formed under μ's. This is effective immediately."

Idol subunits. Maki wasn't completely surprised, Kimura had mentioned it when they had first met him, but forming them this early seemed like a bold move. They only had one concert as μ's, and the company already wanted to split them up? Maki wrung her hands nervously, shifting her weight back and forth.

"Subunits? Does this mean we'll be terminating μ's?" Eli asked, voicing one of Maki's concerns.

"Of course not," Kimura replied, "The formations of these subunits are for one reason and one reason only: to get all of your names out there. It's much easier to work with smaller groups. This gives you an opportunity to build a fanbase for yourselves, and once we're confident that idol bias will no longer pose a threat, we can refocus on μ's as a whole."

"We'll go over it in more detail tomorrow," Yuka said, "For now, you're free to go. You had a busy day yesterday, so make sure you rest up for tomorrow. We'll start at the normal time." Kimura and Yuka bowed and exited the room.

"Ya heard the lady!" Hikari shouted. "Head on home and get some rest!" Hikari ushered them out of the room.

BiBi. Maki said the name over and over again in her head. She liked the way it sounded. It had a nice a ring to it. Despite her initial apprehension surrounding the newest development, Maki had to admit that idea didn't seem completely horrible If a fanbase was as crucial to an idol's career was everyone made it seem, then separating them into smaller groups might work. The only thing that worried her was the effect the split would have on each girl individually.

Maki turned to Nico, "Hey, what do you think about the subunits?"

"You mean, do I think it's a good idea?" Nico asked. Maki nodded her head yes. "Well, yeah. I've stressed again and again how important the relationship between idol and fan is, so I think taking steps to build our individual fanbases is smart. We might have to work away from some of the others for a while, but in the end, it'll only work in our favor."

Nico's confidence in the plan was extremely reassuring. Nico knew more about how the idol industry worked, so if she thought it was a good plan, Maki couldn't bring herself to argue. Though a nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her that it wouldn't be as simple as Nico was making it out to be, she ultimately chose to ignore it, not wanting to bring herself any unnecessary anguish.

"So what do _you _think of the groups?" Nico asked.

"Well, it happened rather fast, and I think the way they split us up was a little strange," Maki replied, "Honestly, I thought they would split us up according to age group. It made the most sense to me since most of us are closest to those in our year. I'm a little worried that it'll be awkward for some of us. But I guess I shouldn't complain, I get to be with you, after all."

"Oh? I think you'll take that back once you see how much I outshine you," Nico teased. The younger girl beamed up at her, making it obvious that she was just as pleased with the formation as Maki was.

Maki smiled, "I think you're missing the point of the subunits entirely." Nico stuck her tongue out.

"It doesn't matter. This is going to great! But poor Eli will be stuck third wheeling," Nico cackled.

"You better not give her any reason to feel that way! Behave!" Maki retorted, her face burning up.

'Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Miss 'I'm going to hug you from behind like a gross, sappy romantic.'" Nico grinned mischievously. She jabbed at Maki's sides playfully.

"S-Shut up!" Maki turned away from Nico, too embarrassed to meet the younger girl's eyes. Her spur of the moment display of affection was finally coming back to bite her.

Nico linked her arm with Maki's, "Come on, you softie, walk me home."

Maki complied with the tiny girl's request. She left with Nico, who chattered loudly about the subunits as they walked. Tomorrow marked the day of an even bigger change within μ's. Only time would tell if they would be to handle it.


	6. Chapter 6

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing?" Nico's voice was the first to break the silence.

That morning had been no less than confusing. When they had first arrived at the studio, they had expected to return to the dance room where they normally went each morning, but when they had approached the door, they were stopped by a man who carried himself with a sense of urgency, much like everyone else at the company. He had given each of them a small slip of paper. When Maki had looked down to read hers, all it had said was: "BiBi. Room 305."

The ones given to Eli and Nico had been exactly the same as hers, though the others had been given a completely different set of instructions. They had been quickly led to the elevators, time was apparently of the essence, whilst the rest of μ's had been ushered toward completely different parts of the building, some even directed to exit the building entirely. It had been complete disarray at first.

Now Maki stood in front of a door with a nameplate that read "305". She lingered, hesitant to be the one who opened the door. They weren't given any explicit details, the man refusing to explain when she had asked, so she wasn't sure what to expect when she passed that threshold.

"Should we go in?" Maki reached for the door handle, the hesitance in her hand preventing her from making the final push to grasp the handle.

"Might as well," Eli replied. "There's no use in just standing around. It probably wouldn't be good if we were late." Maki nodded. She carefully pulled down on the door handle. She pushed her way forward, the door swinging with ease. As she stepped inside, she was greeted by the silence of an empty conference room.

A large oak table sat directly in the middle of the room. Eight leather bound chairs were placed around its perimeter. A large window covered the entirety of the back wall. Maki rechecked the paper. Did they have the right room? The urgency in the man at the door made it seem like whatever they were supposed to be doing was of great importance. It seemed strange that their destination was completely devoid of anyone else.

"What gives?" Nico's tone gave away her annoyance, "Why were we brought here if there's no one else around?" The older girl crossed her arms, a deep frown on her face.

"Maybe something happened," Eli suggested, "Let's just be patient and wait for a bit. There's not much more we can do right now anyway." Nico snorted and plopped down on one of the chairs near the window.

Maki moved to sit down in one of the leather chairs next to Nico. The chair spun as she shifted her weight. Pressing her elbows against the surface of the table, Maki rested her head on her hands. Nico, sitting beside her, absentmindedly fiddled with one of the ribbons that held her pigtails in place. The tiny girl's jaw was clenched, her irritation becoming more and more apparent.

Maki looked towards Eli, who had elected to remain standing. The older girl leaned against the wall near the door, her eyes staring at a clock on the wall. Even though the group split was strange, Maki was glad that she had gotten placed with Eli. The blonde girl was mature and logical, something that would undoubtedly prove useful once things really got going. If anyone could carry them to success, it was her.

Eli turned her head towards Maki, smiling when she caught her eyes. Eli must have sensed she was being watched. Maki tilted her head down in embarrassment. She never considered herself to be close with the other girl, so it was oftentimes difficult to know how to act around her. They were long past formalities, but Eli's air of maturity made her seem like she was on a whole different level. She admired and respected the other girl, but Eli's disposition made her slightly intimidating. Maki hoped that she would be able to break past that eventually.

Maki jumped as the door to the conference room swung open. Yuka stepped in. The older woman's shoulders were slumped and her eyes drooped as though she hadn't slept in days. She carried a single clipboard with her, several pieces of paper messily placed on top of it.

"I apologize for my tardiness. There was another...issue that required my immediate attention." Yuka sat down, her shaky fingers fumbling through the mass of papers. Maki wondered if that issue had anything to do with recent problems surrounding one of their other groups. It had put them behind schedule once before, so it wouldn't surprise her if that was the culprit once again.

"Today, I'll be giving you an overview if how we plan to proceed with BiBi." Yuka's tone was flat, unenthusiastic. "As your talent agent, it's my job to book important events for you. But what's most important is that you're comfortable with the events that we have in mind. Please look over this itinerary, and if there are any issues, please speak up." Yuka passed each of them a single sheet of paper.

Maki's eyes quickly scanned the paper. To her surprise, several events were already placed on their schedules; interviews, television programs, live events and various others. The company moved fast. Nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary either. Every event seemed manageable.

Maki looked over at Nico. Her girlfriend's expression was as flat as the tone their talent agent had spoken with. A brief urge to reach out to her was quickly diminished as Maki followed Nico's gaze. The twin tailed girl ignored the paper that laid in front of her, instead focusing her attention on a random spot of the table's surface.

"I'll take your silence as approval of the event possibilities listed there." Yuka's voice tore Maki's attention away from her uncharacteristically silent and inattentive girlfriend.

"These events do seem promising," Eli spoke up, "I see no issue with any of the things listed." Maki nodded her head in agreement.

"Excellent." Yuka folded her hands on the table. "Now we're on to the most important factor. On top of any outside events you do, you'll also need to perform. In two months, we plan to hold another concert featuring the subunits. We want two BiBi exclusive songs prepared for that performance. That means lyrics, vocals, and choreography need to be created and implemented as soon as possible."

"Two?" Maki's eyes widened. "That seems excessive. Especially considering we just started. We didn't even perform an original song for the debut concert!"

"That does seem like quite a lot," Eli mused, "But choreography and composition shouldn't be an issue. Maki, you've had the most experience out of any of us when it comes to composing, and I'm rather confident in my abilities with choreography. The only difficult part will be lyrics since Umi was the one who handled that. But I strongly believe we can handle two songs regardless."

Maki knew Eli would be a great asset. The way she presented herself with such confidence was inspiring. Maki never really appreciated it before, but now that she was getting the opportunity to work closely with her, it was extremely reassuring.

"It's not like we have choice." Nico's soft words turned the heads of everyone in the room. "If we want to be successful, we're going to have to push out a lot of content for fans. If just two songs makes you feel unconfident, then we might as well quit." Maki stared at the girl beside her. Something didn't seem right.

"We'll be fine," Eli smiled softly at Nico, "There's no need to take things to the extreme. No one here is planning on quitting." Nico's mouth twisted into a deep scowl. The small girl turned her head away. Nico's behavior was unusual, and Maki felt worry prick the back of her mind.

"We have a wide array of professionals ready to assist you with any aspect of song creation, so don't worry too much about it," Yuka said, her gaze fixed to the papers on the table in front of her. "Also, we'll need an unofficial center. This person won't be the leader per se, but we'll need someone who will take center position during pictures and other things of the like. Someone with a strong presence would probably be best."

Maki immediately knew who she thought would be the best for that position. They already had someone amongst their group with leadership experience, so that seemed like the most logical solution. But considering Nico's obviously sour mood, would it be better to nominate her instead? Maki didn't want to cause any infighting, but at the same time, it would be going against her gut feeling if she spoke in favor of Nico.

"Does anyone have an opinion or are you three just going to remain quiet?" Yuka sounded exasperated. Maki felt bad for the older woman. Whatever was happening within the company was obviously taking a lot out of her. It was probably best to resolve their meeting quickly so she could get back to solving the issue she was dealing with.

"I think Eli would be the best person for that," Maki announced. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nico whip her head around.

"Why her?" Nico's voice was loud, contrasting heavily with her tone from just a few moments ago.

"Neither of us have had the same leadership experience that Eli has." Maki's body tensed up, anticipating Nico's anger.

Nico scoffed, "You can't be serious."

"I am. Eli spent a good deal of time as student council president, so she knows how to carry herself as a leader. I think she's proved herself many times in the past, so logically it makes the most sense. Plus, she looks way more mature than anyone in our group, so it'll give BiBi a good image if we put her as center. I think she's the perfect choice."

Eli chuckled nervously, "I think you're giving me too much credit. We don't have to decide right away. Plus, this isn't a leadership position. It's just an unofficial center position for pictures." The older girl looked uncomfortable, her eyes shifting back and forth between Maki and Nico.

Nico ignored Eli completely. "Well if she's so perfect to you then why don't you date her instead?" Maki flinched. That was the first time Nico had mentioned their relationship in front of others, and it wasn't in the most positive of ways.

"What's wrong with you today? You're being a brat!" Maki felt anger bubble within her. She glared at the girl beside her, who crossed her arms and looked away. The atmosphere in the room was tense.

"Since this sounds like it'll be an issue, perhaps we'll adapt the "no center" rule that you girls have with μ's." Yuka stood up, gathering all but a few pieces of paper. Maki caught her eyes. She saw something strange in agent's expression, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. The woman looked away as she walked towards the door.

"I think I understand the situation, "Yuka continued, throwing another quick glance at Maki, "If you would excuse me, I'd like to step out to give my report for today. I left today's schedule on the table. Please follow it accordingly." Yuka hurried out of the room.

Maki did not like the sound of that. The only thing they had accomplished that day was embarrassing levels of indecision with some bickering thrown in. They weren't having a great start. She doubted the initial report would be good.

Maki felt Eli tug at her sleeve. She looked up at the blonde girl who pointed over towards Nico.

"I think you need to talk to her." Eli kept her voice hushed. "Something's really off with her today, but I doubt she'd be welcoming towards my questioning. I'll wait outside of the room, so whenever you're done come meet me and we'll continue from there." Maki nodded.

"Oh, and thanks for supporting me earlier," Eli said as she walked towards the door, "It meant a lot." With a smile, Eli exited the room.

Maki took a deep breath. If something really was wrong with Nico, and her behavior suggested so, then she needed to approach this next conversation with tact. She couldn't allow herself to get worked up no matter how much Nico snapped at her. That wouldn't do her any good.

Maki turned her attention towards the only other person left in the room. Nico had moved to a sitting position on top of the table. She swung her legs back and forth as she stared out the window, her expression somber. Maki stood up and leaned against the side of the table beside Nico. She tentatively placed her hand on the smaller girl's back.

"Are you okay?" Maki asked. "I'm not sure what's going on with you today, but I want to help. I promise I won't snap at you again."

Nico didn't remove her gaze from the window, "You were right to snap at me. I _was_ being a brat. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Nico sighed heavily, turning her body to face Maki, "Not really, but I suppose I owe you an explanation for my behavior."

"You don't have to ta-"

Nico put her hand up to cut Maki off, "It's fine. Maybe talking about it will actually make me feel less horrible." Maki nodded. She held out her hand in a silent request for the other girl's. Nico complied, resting her left hand on top of Maki's open palm.

Nico opened and closed her mouth, seemingly looking for the right words. Maki could practically visibly see the stress that weighed down on the older girl. She squeezed Nico's hand supportively.

"My family struggles financially," Nico started, hesitance creeping into her voice, "That's something that I grew to accept a long time ago. We'll never live luxuriously. We'll always be scraping by. At least, that's what I've always thought. When we got offered this opportunity, I was so excited because I thought that I'd be able to experience luxury for the first time while doing something I loved to do."

Maki knew of Nico's family struggles. It was one of the few things that really ate away at Nico. It stressed her out, having to live under such tense circumstances.

Nico continued, "Then I thought about how it could help my family. Since, according to our contract, we get paid for our work, I thought that my success could bring more than just personal gain. I could help my family, and maybe my mama would get the resting time she deserves."

Maki squeezed Nico's hand a second time. It was all she could do for her girlfriend at that point. Coming from a wealthy family, Maki was fortunate enough to never have to experience the fear of not having enough money to live securely.

"For a moment, I thought that was the simple solution to all of our problems," Nico sighed, "But I forgot that life is cruel, and things never work out the way you want them to." Nico grimaced, casting her gaze down to her lap. Maki had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"What happened to your family?" Maki asked. She felt herself fearing the answer.

Nico looked up, "Mama made a mistake a work. Mama's been so tired these past few months, and she's been making more and more mistakes. Yesterday was the final straw apparently. Her boss demoted her. And now with her current position, she won't make enough to be able to support all five of us."

"That's horrible..." Maki didn't know what else she could say. She wished she could understand the fear that plagued Nico, but no matter how much she wanted to help her, she'd never understand what it felt like to fear for her family's security. Maki wasn't sure what she could do.

Nico pulled her hand away from Maki and wrapped her arms around her own torso, "If I don't become successful as an idol, my family is done. Everything rides on μ's and BiBi now. I can't do this just for myself any longer. My family depends on my success."

Maki moved directly in front of Nico, placing a hand on either of the other girl's shoulders, "Nico, that's way too much pressure for one person to handle. You can't put this burden on yourself. It'll suck the life out you."

"Then what do I do?" Nico whispered. Tears formed in the corners of Nico's eyes and Maki felt her heart twinge at the sight of them.

"I'm not sure." Maki admitted, knowing she couldn't lie to the other girl. "I don't know the right way to help your family, but just take everything one step at a time. If you focus too much on the problem at hand, it'll just cripple you. You're going to be an amazing idol. You already are, and once we really start working, I'm sure you'll feel better about everything."

Nico's voice was soft, "Thanks, Maki. Your support helps a lot." Maki smiled at the girl in front of her. She saw Nico pat a spot on the table to her left. Maki moved to sit next to her. As soon as she settled down on the table, she felt Nico's head rest on her shoulder. Maki put a comforting arm around the twin tailed girl. That sat in silence, allowing themselves to recover in each other's presence.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." Maki spoke up after a few minutes had passed. "I really want to help you, but I'm not sure what I can do."

Nico sat up and shook her head, "No, you've done a lot already. Just being here is enough. I think that as long as you're by my side, I'll be able to do anything."

Maki laughed, "Geez, it sounds like you pulled that line straight out of an anime." She felt Nico's small fist hit her shoulder.

"Shut up! I'm trying to be emotional here." A small smile replaced Nico's deep frown. Maki's heart leapt. She may have not alleviated Nico's fears entirely, but she was happy that she was able to make her smile again. She hoped her words were at least a temporary relief from the pain Nico was feeling.

"Also, I take back what I said before," Nico announced.

"What do you mean?" Maki cocked her head to the side.

"When I said you should date Eli instead. Don't do that please." Nico looked very serious about her request, and Maki couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't taken Nico's past anger-fueled words seriously at all.

"You really don't have to worry about that." Maki leaned forward until her forehead touched Nico's. The flowery scent of Nico's perfume filled Maki's nostrils.

"Just promise you'll stay by me. It'll be way harder to accomplish what I want if you're not around like you are now. N-Not that I couldn't be successful without you. I just-"

"I know," Maki interrupted, "I promise." She looked at Nico affectionately, love for the smaller girl welling up in her chest. She saw a brief spark of determination in the eyes of her girlfriend, and before Maki could react, she felt Nico's lips smash against hers.

The kiss was quick and desperate. Nico's lips were hard, and the sudden action made the positioning of their faces feel awkward. Despite that, a current spread throughout Maki's body, leaving goose bumps across the surface of her arms. The kiss ended as quickly as it began, and Nico pulled away, her breath short and ragged.

"Wow, I'm sorry," Nico ducked her head shyly. "That was really impulsive."

Maki didn't answer. She stared at Nico with half lidded eyes. In her own act of impulsiveness, she cupped Nico cheek with her right hand, and with a slight tilt of her head, she softly pressed her lips against Nico's, sealing them in a second kiss. Maki closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel every sensation.

This kiss felt completely different. Desperation was replaced by tenderness, and Nico's lips felt infinitely softer. Maki moved her hand to the back of Nico's head. She felt Nico respond by returning the kiss, adding her own pressure to Maki's lips. Electricity coursed through Maki's body as she felt Nico's lips move against her own.

Maki could of sworn she briefly tasted citrus, and for a slight moment, she wondered if the taste had come from Nico's lips. It was pleasant addition to their passionate kiss, and Maki felt her lips move with vigor as she searched for that same taste.

"You have got to be kidding me." Maki heard a voice from behind them. She quickly broke the kiss, their lips parting with an audible smack. Maki spun around and saw a very displeased Eli standing by the door. Maki paled. She hadn't heard the door open.

"I was worried because you two were taking so long, but it turns out you were just fooling around," Eli scolded them fiercely. "I don't want to have to baby sit you two, but it looks like I might have to if this is what you're going to be doing with your time."

"We had a big heart-to-heart chat, I swear!" Nico put her hands up in front of her. "These things just sometimes lead to...other things." Eli pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You should know better, Nico!" Eli crossed her arms, throwing a stern glance at the twin tailed girl.

"Why am I getting singled out here?"

"Because you're her senior! You need to be setting an example!" Eli's face was flushed. It seemed like walking in on their kiss had embarrassed her quite a bit. Maki covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile.

"Okay, mom." Nico's tone was heavily sarcastic which only served to fuel Eli's frustration.

"Come on." Eli spun around. "We have two songs to figure out, so we can't waste any more time here. If we get behind schedule, we'll be in big trouble." The two girls jumped off the table and rushed to Eli's side, eager to appease Eli's irritation.

As they strolled down the hallway towards their next destination, Maki heard Eli throw a few more scolding remarks at Nico, who whined about the unfairness of being the only target of Eli's scolds. Maki smiled. She really was glad she got put into a group with them, even though they had a rocky start.

They weren't used to working in such a small unit, but Maki was confident that they'd be able to pull through. Maki brought her fingers to her lips, still feeling the lingering effects of her kisses with Nico. Those had been their first, and Maki silently hoped that those kisses brought the same amount of joy to Nico as they did to her.

"Maki, make Eli stop." Nico whined, pulling Maki from her thoughts.

"She's right you know," Maki teased. "I _am _your young and impressionable junior, so maybe you should control yourself more."

Maki felt Nico pound her fists against her shoulder, "You traitor! That second one was all you!"

Maki could still see a thinly veiled fear in the eyes of her girlfriend, something which didn't surprise her at all considering the situation Nico was in, but as her confidence in BiBi grew, so did her confidence in Nico's success. She felt a growing eagerness to begin that day's work. The sooner they started, the sooner Nico could feel the comforting sense of progress.

Maki knew that no matter how hard things got, she'd stay by Nico's side and support her until the very end. She had made a promise, after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Thump, thump, thump. With each thump, Maki flinched. The sound was distracting and unwelcome. Thump, thump, thump. Maki tightened her grip on her pencil, threatening to snap the thin object in half. Thump, thump, thump. The objects on the table rumbled. Maki found it increasingly difficult to write with a steady hand. Thump, thump, thump.

"Nico, knock it off!" Maki grabbed a small eraser on the desk and chucked it at Nico, who was rhythmically banging her head against the table. The eraser hit Nico squarely in the head, causing the younger girl to look up.

"I'm sorry!" Nico rubbed the spot where the eraser had hit her, "I just can't think of anything! I'm trying to jumpstart my brain here!"

Maki sighed. As annoying as it was, she couldn't really blame Nico for her actions. They were all frustrated. For the past week, all they'd been assigned to was the creation of their first song. That was of utmost importance, so to assure the company that they'd get it done quickly, they were placed in a small room and were tasked to write out the lyrics.

The room was equipped fairly well. A large table sat in the middle, various writing tools strewn across its surface. At the right side of the room, sitting against the wall opposite of the door, there was a small bookshelf filled with reference material. Towards the left side, a whiteboard covered the face of a wall. Maki sat at the left end of the table, Eli directly across from her, while Nico laid collapsed at the head of the table on the right.

"I think you'll do more damage than good if you keep hitting your head like that." Eli leaned back in her chair. She reached behind her, stretching out her arms and shoulders.

"I don't know what else to do," Nico whined. "We've been in this room every day for hours. If we don't get anything done, I'm going to lose it!" Maki looked past Nico at a trash can next to the bookshelf. It was filled to the brim with crumpled up pieces of paper. A few had spilled out onto the floor. It seemed as though the company's plan for speedy efficiency had failed them.

"Hitting your head against the table won't help," Maki pointed out.

"Ugh, I'm so jittery though."

"Then channel your energy into something less disruptive. Like writing, for example. And that'll be less damaging to your head." Maki saw Nico grab at various objects on the table, She fiddled with each object she grabbed to keep her hands busy, and then placed the object back down when it didn't satisfy. Maki sighed. It didn't seem as though Nico was going to be productive.

As long as the annoying thumping stopped, Maki didn't really care what Nico did. Maki needed to focus on her own work. She turned her attention back to the paper in front of her. Its surface was covered in scribbles. There wasn't a legible word amongst them. Maki ran a hand through her hair. Lyric writing was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She made a mental note to thank Umi for all of the past work she had done.

Maki found herself wondering about the two other groups. She hadn't heard a single word about Printemps or Lily White. Maki wasn't sure how she felt about that. A couple days ago, she had intended to call up either Rin or Hanayo to check up on them, but her desperate struggle to come up with lyrics had made her completely forget. She hoped they were doing okay.

Click, click. Maki's eyes narrowed. What now? She listened intently, searching for the source of the sound. Silence. Was she starting to hear things? Click, click. Maki turned towards the direction the sound came from. She saw Nico with her head down on the table, a pen firmly in her grasp. The girl's small thumb pressed down on the top of the pen. Click, click.

"Please, no," Maki whispered. Pen clicking was even worse. Maki got up from her seat and briskly walked over towards her girlfriend. Maki grabbed the pen from Nico's hand before the other girl could press down on it again.

"Maki, I can feel myself go crazy." Nico spoke before Maki had the opportunity to scold her for her pen clicking. "I need to get out of here."

"Then write. We won't be able to move on until we get these lyrics out. And sitting around complaining about it won't help either." Maki pat Nico's head as the older girl let out a loud whine.

"I think we might be going about this the wrong way," Eli stood up. "I mean, up until this point, we've each been doing our own thing. That obviously isn't working. It might help if we brainstorm a little bit. It'll be like that time at training camp. Hopefully we can find the same inspiration by working together now as we did back then."

"Good idea," Maki nodded in agreement. "I think it'll be a lot more efficient this way. But where should we start?"

"Why don't we decide the direction first? We should know exactly what emotions we want to convey. We can go from there." Eli walked up to the whiteboard. She grabbed one of the markers and wrote "Song A" on the surface.

Nico's head shot up, "It should be a love song! Songs about love are the staple of being an idol." Eli wrote down "love" in big letters.

"We had this same discussion as μ's, remember?" Maki pointed out. "We've already written and performed love songs as a group. Won't it get stale if we just keep on repeating the same theme?"

Nico shook her head, "You don't understand. Love songs are the essence of an idol. They're what have tied idols to the hearts of their fans ever since idols existed. The fans desire love songs, so idols perform them. Why fix a cycle that isn't broken?"

Nico had a point. If that's what fans truly desired, then logically it would make the most sense to keep with the theme of love. She supposed it would be a lot easier to come up with something this time considering her increase in romantic experience in the past couple of months. But before Maki could think through it any more, the door to the room opened.

Hikari stepped in, three large bottles of juice in her arms, "Yo! I brought snacks to help recharge your brains!" Maki stared at her, unblinking. They had been in that room for so long that seeing anyone else was surprisingly surreal.

Hikari placed the bottles down on the table and leaned against the wall near the door, "So, how's lyric writin' goin'? You've been in here for a while now."

Eli rubbed the back of her neck, "Not so good. We're all stumped. But we're about to try a new method of brainstorming, so hopefully we'll be able to push out some content."

Hikari nodded, "Good, good. To be honest, I'm surprised they're lettin ya work on it for this long. Normally, they woulda stepped in by now since ya seem to be havin' so much trouble with the lyrics. We do have professional songwriters within the company to help some of our less experienced idols. Wonder why they're doin' this..." Hikari's voice trailed off.

For some reason, that left an eerie, unpleasant feeling in the pit of Maki's stomach. It always felt like there was some sort of air of secrecy among business types. If Maki hadn't experienced the same feeling when she was around her father's business friends, she would have dismissed the feeling as baseless worrying.

"What about the rest of our friends?" Maki asked. "Are they going through the same process as we are?" If both Lily White and Printemps were given the same instruction, then there was no need to believe that this was anything other than a new way of approaching things.

"Hmm," Hikari put her hand to her chin, "Definitely not. Your group is the only group I haven't really worked with yet. I was gettin' a lil curious about that, so I went and asked, but all they told me was that they're schedulin' ya differently. They were bein' real hush hush about ya guys, so I decided to check on ya myself."

That was odd, to say the least. There was no real reason why their schedule should be so drastically different from the rest. Maki tapped her pencil against the tabletop. Why the was company being so secretive about BiBi?

"Wait, so we're the only ones being shoved in a room all day to write lyrics?" Nico stood up out of her seat, her small fists clenched. Hikari nodded. "That's not fair! Why do they get all the fun?" Nico shook as though she were about to explode.

"What are the rest of them doing then?" Eli asked. The blonde girl looked as concerned as Maki felt.

"Well," Hikari started, "I've worked with Lily White the most so far. They've managed to get their first song written, so we've been workin' on the beginnin' stages of choreography. They got some help with the more musical parts of the composition, but they wrote it without any outside interference. Though that ain't surprisin' considerin' they have your songwriter with em. They're strugglin' a bit with comin' up with ideas for moves, but I've been helpin' em along, so they're movin' at an ideal pace."

Lily White was Rin's group. Maki felt a small weight lift off her shoulders. Despite their own bizarre situation, she was happy to know that Rin was doing okay. She had worried about Rin's separation from Hanayo, the two girls were each other's support, but they seemed to be doing fine. Maki felt a bit silly for worrying about it in the first place.

"Printemps have been doin' their own thing as well," Hikari continued, "I don't think they've finished their first song yet, but I know for a fact that they've made some progress. I've seen it. It's pretty cute so far. But they haven't had as much time to devote to lyrics either. They've already done their first event and they have another scheduled real soon."

This caught Maki off guard. She hadn't heard a single thing about that. She had been distracted enough by her own job that she hadn't bothered to look at any idol news websites, but she thought Hanayo would have told her about something as big as Printemps' very first event.

"Already? Did you know about this?" Maki looked over at Nico, who had taken to leaning against the wall near the bookshelf.

Nico shook her head, "I haven't had time to look at the news lately. Things have been...busy at home." Maki winced. The moments that accidentally brought Nico's mind back towards her family predicament were always the most cringe worthy. Maki quickly looked over at Eli, who shook her head no before Maki had a chance to ask the same question.

"The manager wanted to make the subunits known as soon as possible, so he had them make an appearance on some television variety show to announce their subunit," Hikari explained. "They were received real well, so the company packed their schedule with tons of stuff. They've been real busy."

Well, that explained why Hanayo hadn't spoken to her. Maki sighed. At least, Printemps were doing well too. It calmed her nerves to know that she wouldn't have to worry about her friends. She could put total focus on the progression of her own group.

"I think Lily White has their first event scheduled for today actually, so that leaves you three as the only ones without solid plans for outside work. They didn't say this outright, but it feels like they're real hesitant about puttin' you out in the public eye." Hikari's expression turned serious. "You do somethin' to piss em off?"

Maki's mind automatically thought of the day she learned of Nico's family issue. She remembered Yuka talking about giving a report on their progress. There had been a lot of tension that day, so perhaps that was what had the company worried. But was that day really enough to warrant this type of situation?

Maki saw Nico move out of the corner of her eye. The younger girl walked up to Hikari, who raised an eyebrow as Nico stopped in front of her. Nico bowed low.

"I'm deeply sorry!" Nico said, still bowed. "This is my fault, and I take full responsibility! I apologize for the burden that I have caused!" Nico's hands were a pale white as she clenched her fists tightly.

Maki's jaw dropped. She had never seen Nico act with such sincere formality, even when she had made mistakes in the past. Nico tended to approach formality with a some degree of sarcasm, but this was completely different. The shame Maki could feel come from Nico was almost unreal.

"Hmm?" Hikari put a hand on her hip, "Whaddya mean? Come on, lift your head so you can explain."

Nico stood up straight, "I let my family issues get in the way of work. I was stressed, and I lashed out in Yuka's presence. She must of passed along a bad report, and now we're being punished. I'm very sorry!" Nico bowed a second time.

Maki stared, wide eyed. If this situation had Nico acting like this, she must really think she did something wrong. Maki felt an urge to walk over to the smaller girl and wrap her arms around her.

Hikari scratched her head, "That's it? That's all that happened? Family issues come up all the time within our other idol groups. And even if that wasn't the case, people have bad days and they're gonna feel real upset in general. I don't see why they'd be gettin' all bent outta shape about somethin' like a little tension."

"So, do you think that's not what's bothering them?" Eli asked. Maki couldn't possibly imagine any other reason. They'd been working hard every day after that first poor impression to make up for it. That day was the only one that really stood out.

"Its hard to say," Hikari answered, her brows furrowed. "Those business suits are always fussin' about somethin', but despite that, somethin' feels strange. I've been here for a couple years now, and I haven't seen em freak out about somethin' as trivial as that."

"So it's not about me?" Nico asked.

"Well, I dunno, but I doubt it's about your personal issues."

Nico relaxed her stiff posture, "So then I just embarrassed myself for nothing? Geez, how lame." Nico crossed her arms and pouted. Maki sighed in exasperation. There was the Nico she was used to.

Hikari shrugged, "I suppose it's possible that they're afraid you're not ready to go out into the public eye. If they saw the tension between the three of ya that day, maybe they're keepin' your group activities low key until you form a tighter connection. They could be coming from a purely protective standpoint. They do care for their idols. They don't want ya to get hurt. But even then..." Hikari cut off. She looked just as puzzled as they did.

"That better not be the case!" Nico's voice boomed. "I'm not fragile! I don't need protection! I don't want safety! I'm not a frail flower that will wither at the first sight of darkness. Even if we weren't ready, and I know we are, I need to experience the dark side of publicity so I can grow from it! Throw me into disarray! I can handle it!"

Eli gasped loudly. She rushed over to her seat and grabbed her pencil. She began furiously scribbling down lines onto one of the leftover pieces of paper. "Say more about that!"

"U-Uh, well," Nico stammered, "I mean... I just don't want to be held back for stupid reasons." Nico twiddled her fingers.

"Good, good..." Eli mumbled as her pencil flew across the surface of the paper. Maki leaned across the table to catch a glance at what Eli was writing. It was difficult to read, most likely due to Eli's fervent writing, but Maki was able to make out most of the words.

Maki nodded her head as her eyes scanned each line. They looked good. It was the first solid direction they had seen since they had started. Some of the sentences weren't complete, but they did give a general idea. They could easily work from what was written down.

"Nico, come over here," Maki beckoned, "You're going to want to read this."

Eli sat back in her chair and dropped her pencil on the desk. She pushed the paper closer to the middle of the table, allowing Nico to look at it herself. Nico grabbed the paper in her hands, and looking through the lines, she quietly mumbled the words to herself as she read.

"This is good!" Nico's eyes lit up. She placed the paper back down on the table and grabbed Eli's pencil. "I really like this line, but I think it would sound better like this." Nico wrote on the margin, drawing an arrow to connect her revision to the original line.

"Oh, that does fit better," Maki said as she read Nico's correction. She grabbed her own pencil. "I think if we add something like this, it'll really make that line feel more powerful." Maki wrote down her own idea.

"Rather than being a frail and fragile thing, I want to melt in the flame of passion." Nico spoke the line aloud. "Yeah, that sounds really good. Nice, Maki! I never took you for a lyricist."

"Eli's ideas are inspiring me," Maki shrugged, throwing a half smile over at Nico for the backhanded compliment.

"They weren't my ideas." Eli looked over at Nico. "Well, not entirely. I just wrote some lines down based on Nico's little speech. We'll have to tinker with them a bit so they fit better, but I can see the emotion behind those words translating into a really unique love song."

"Well, it looks like you're on a roll," Hikari interrupted. "I won't bother ya anymore. Come find me when ya finish. I wanna read it before ya take it to the bigwigs." Maki nodded in response, not tearing her eyes away from the paper that was now filled with various markings. She heard the click of the door as it shut behind their instructor.

The next couple of hours were some of the least stressful they'd had so far. The ideas came easy and flowed perfectly with one another. As they worked out the lyrics, Maki found herself humming certain sections. If she had a piano within her reach, she would have begun experimenting with different sounds immediately. She hoped that she'd be able to build off these ideas with her skills as a composer once they had finished this process.

Maki wished that Yuka could have seen them at this moment. Their coordination was top notch. It was leagues above the disaster of that day in the conference room. If they truly needed to prove themselves capable, then this would have done it.

This was what BiBi was about. It was in these few hours that Maki felt their true potential, and it made her heart pound with adrenaline. This song, forged in the very room that had hindered them with frustration and anxiety, was truly something that Maki could marvel at. Her chest welled up with pride as she cast her eyes on their final draft.

Many pieces of paper, all marked until there was no room left on the surface, were splayed across the table, reminding Maki of the progress they had made that day. A single sheet with cleanly written lyrics, not a single blemish to be seen, rested in front of them.

"It's done," Nico whispered. "It's finally done." Maki could only nod in response. The moment was too precious to ruin with meaningless banter. She stared at the lyric sheet, her eyes spotting only one missing element. She brought her pencil to the top of the page and wrote down the first thing the came to mind.

"Diamond Princess no Yuutsu."

* * *

Maki tapped her foot impatiently, her gaze fixed on the descending numbers on the small screen in the elevator. They were only a couple floors above the dance studio, but the short ride in the elevator felt like it was taking years to complete. She was eager to get their song to Hikari.

The elevator dinged as they arrived on their desired floor. Maki, her companions in tow, practically ran out of the elevator as the door slid open. With determination, they made a beeline for the dance studio, where Hikari was undoubtedly waiting for them. They excitedly pushed past any other people in the hallways, startling the people in the process.

As they approached their destination, Maki could hear muffled sounds of chattering. When they stepped foot into the dancing area, they were greeted by a large crowd. There was camera equipment set up everywhere. Several cameramen loitered about, big, expensive looking cameras in their arms. Maki spotted Hikari in the corner of the room, speaking to both Kimura and Yuka.

The woman's lips were pursed, her eyes narrowing as the two others spoke to her. Hikari jabbed her finger at Kimura as she spoke her response. Maki, making sure both Eli and Nico were sufficiently distracted by the commotion around them, slipped away, inching closer to the quarreling adults, hoping to catch a snippet of their conversation.

"This is ridiculous," Maki heard Hikari shout, "You can't hold em back like this simply 'cause you're afraid of some nonexistent problem! I don't care about whatever's happened with your other groups that ya deemed problematic. Don't spout baseless accusations! They're just children! Cut em some slack!"

"This isn't a baseless accusation," Kimura's smooth voice seemed out of place in such a tension filled conversation, "And we haven't acted yet. We're only observing to see how much of a problem this will pose. If this turns out to be true, then we will act accordingly, regardless of their age. We only have their best interests in mind."

Hikari ran a hand through her hair, doing nothing to hide her obvious frustration, "Even if it is true, it doesn't matter! Your obsessive fixation on matters like this is what will bring your groups down! You're afraid of a consequence that may not actually exist!"

"That remains to be seen," Kimura answered, keeping a calm composure. "We cannot allow negative images of our groups to circulate any longer. If the media gets a hold of this new information, it'll be a disaster, and that is the last thing we can afford right now. We _will_ nip this in the bud before it grows into a bigger problem."

Hikari groaned in frustration, "I can't handle this right now. I'm done." Hikari spun around and walked in Maki's direction. Maki scrambled to move herself from the older woman's sight. She weaved through several people to rejoin the rest of BiBi.

"Where'd you disappear off to?" Nico asked as Maki walked up to her.

"Sorry," Maki mumbled. "I got pushed away by a mass of people."

Maki heard Nico say something else to her, but her mind tuned it out as it replayed the conversation she had just witnessed. Those three had obviously been talking about them. But what could have possibly made Hikari so angry? The older woman was usually laidback, so the sudden change in demeanor was not comforting.

There was a problem. Maki was sure of that. But what had they done? The conversation seemed too severe to be related to Nico's angry outbursts. Maki felt an unsettling feeling creep back into the pit of her stomach.

Maki felt Nico link their arms, "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Maki ignored Nico's words. She felt uncomfortably vulnerable. How was it possible that the company knew something about them that she herself wasn't even aware of?

Maki looked around, feeling as though she were being watched. Her eyes snapped back to where she had seen Hikari arguing. Immediately, Maki caught Kimura's sharp gaze. The man diverted his eyes. He leaned over towards Yuka and muttered something in her ear. Yuka nodded and scribbled something down on a notepad she was holding. The two adults turned away and walked into the crowd of people.

"You must be BiBi!" A loud, enthusiastic voice captured Maki's attention. A familiar man clad in a suit and tie stood before them, a microphone in hand and a cameraman at his side. "We just finished a big interview with Lily White! They were a charming bunch. But we haven't heard much about μ's third subunit at all! It would be great if we could get the first look!"

"Um, well, I'm not sure if we're clear to do that," Eli answered. "I think we'd need to run it by our manager before anything like that could happen."

"Wait a minute," Nico squinted at the man. "You're from Idol Spotlight!"

The man nodded, "That's right! We ran a report about your debut concert, which was great by the way! There's been a lot of chatter about μ's lately. Even more so today now that two of your subunits have been officially announced. I just checked the site, and there's a lot of people who are wondering about this mysterious third group. We'd love to interview you!"

"Like I said-" Eli cut off as their manager approached from behind the reporter.

"If you have the time to do it, I don't see why not." Kimura stopped beside the man. "It's been brought to my attention that you've made substantial progress on your first song. Perhaps it's time to move you on to your next phase. We need to start getting your faces out there."

Maki felt oddly disturbed by his words. It felt as though they contradicted everything he had said in his conversation with Hikari. This was all too confusing. It was giving her headache. She needed to let it go, and let things work out on their own. If she worked hard, there was no reason to believe that things wouldn't straighten out.

"Actually, we finished it!" Nico stated, placing her hands on her hips in a confident pose. "And Maki already has tons of plans for the musical direction!"

"Excellent." Kimura clapped his hands together. "Then we can proceed with this extra interview. It's a shame that it's being sprung on you so suddenly. We like to make sure our idols are sufficiently prepared for each event, but perhaps this will be good way to test yourselves. After all, the world of idols can be quite unpredictable."

Before Maki was fully aware of what was happening, she was being pushed towards a makeup crew. She was seated on a short stool. Several people dabbed at her face at once, making for an extremely disorienting experience. The frenzy that occurred as the crew members rushed to prepare her and the others in BiBi was enough to completely push any suspicions to the back of her mind.

Maki took a deep breath. She really wanted to get this right. For Nico's sake, for Eli's sake, and for her own sense of accomplishment, she dug deep within herself to muster up the courage she would need to handle this interview successfully. As Maki was led to stand beside her companions, the cameras turned to face them.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry this chapter is shorter than the rest. I decided to take the second half of this chapter that I had planned out and push it to the beginning of the next chapter because I've barely slept in the past few days and I really wanna make that scene not suck. But I wanted to get something out so here ya go

* * *

Beads of sweat trickled down Maki's forehead as the heat of the set lights shone down on her. Maki felt the urge to tug at her collar to relieve her body from the intense heat, even if only for a split second, but she stayed her hand, unwilling to look unprofessional under the scrutiny of the cameras. Her throat grew dry, partially from her own nervousness. She eyed the room's water dispenser, envious of those that got to indulge in its services.

"Well, this has been quite the lucky day for us." The reporter's voice tore her attention away from her discomfort. "Not only did we get the opportunity to talk with Lily White, but we also managed to snag a surprise interview with the third subunit, BiBi. Thank you very much for the opportunity!"

"Thank you for having us," Nico answered automatically, the pitch of her voice much higher than her normal speaking voice. She appeared unfazed by crowd of cameras. It wouldn't be surprising if she had mentally prepared herself years in advance. It seemed like something she would do.

"Everyone's been talking about μ's and your new subunits. Normally we don't see large groups split off so early, so we're all curious to see what you have planned. Can you tell us anything about your future projects?" The reporter pointed the microphone towards them.

Maki averted her gaze away from the man. She wasn't particularly comfortable being in front of a camera. It made her feel vulnerable. As much as she wanted to contribute to the interview, she was afraid of messing up. They had already had a challenging enough start.

Luckily, Eli answered quickly, "Well, I'm not sure how much we're allowed to reveal, but I will say that we have something really great in the works. We've worked very hard to get it to where it's at right now. It's been challenging and frustrating at times, but we never give up. I'm proud of how far we've come."

Maki was standing close enough to Eli that she could feel the blonde girl's body shake. She was nervous. It was oddly comforting knowing that she wasn't the only one who wasn't feeling completely comfortable being in front of the cameras. Though considering Eli's consistent leadership positions, it was surprising to know that she got affected by things like this. It made her seem way less intimidating.

The man nodded his head enthusiastically, his eyes shimmering with what almost looked like tears, "That's what we like to hear! I can feel the passion behind your words. It's simply moving! I can tell you'll end up creating some truly inspirational pieces!"

Maki was slightly taken aback by the man's enthusiasm. She had almost forgotten how intense people were about idols when they were invested in them. The only people she had had experience with who were like that were Nico and Hanayo, and their behavior had seemed borderline extreme at times. No wonder Nico seemed so comfortable with her environment.

"It's always been Nico-nii's dream to inspire and put smile's on the faces of my fans," Nico spoke in her idol persona. "I know that this project will accomplish that, so Nico-nii is very excited to show it off!"

Maki wasn't sure she'd ever truly understand the appeal of the overly cutesy front that idols had, but judging by the reporter, who was nodding his head as Nico spoke, it was an extremely effective strategy. Maki doubted she'd be able to pull it off though. It wasn't her.

"We're all looking forward to it!" The reporter spoke enthusiastically, confirming his approval of Nico's front. "You already seem to be a really formidable subunit! I'm curious, how strong do you think your bonds with each other are? Tight knit groups always come out on top."

This was a good question. It was exactly what Maki had hoped would be asked. If the company truly did doubt their compatibility, this was their chance to prove that their group dynamic was strong. The company didn't need to doubt them. Maki stood a little straighter. She was ready for this.

Nico answered before Maki could even formulate a proper response, "We've been through so much together. Nico-nii has so many cherished memories of the time we've spent together. We support each other. Even though I'm a senior member of the group, I still look up to all my friends. Especially Eli, whose maturity cannot be rivaled."

Maki stared at Nico. The older girl was good. The long years of studying idols were continuing to prove their worth. That response seemed flawless, almost too flawless. It made Maki wonder if Nico's words were genuine. It always seemed like Nico's envy of Eli had made things awkward between them. Eli looked just as bewildered as Maki felt.

"I never knew you felt that way. I'm flattered, actually. But I feel the same. You're a treasured friend, Nico. We couldn't have made it here without you." Nico and Eli exchanged smiles. Maki observed them carefully. Was this real? If it was, the bond between the third years must have been way stronger than she thought.

"It's always nice to see such strong friendship between young ladies. I'm sure it'll warm the hearts of all of your fans." The reporter turned to look at Maki. "You haven't spoken yet, Maki. How do you feel about this? Do you feel this strong connection as well?" Maki swallowed. Her turn.

Maki could feel the expectant gazes of Nico and Eli. In an attempt to cast away any nervousness she felt, Maki raised her chin confidently. Her voice came out loud and clear, "Of course. The third years have always supported the rest of us. It's only natural to think highly of them after all of the hard work they've put in."

Maki hoped that her answer was sufficient. Unlike Nico, she had no knowledge of how these types of interviews worked in the professional idol world. She supposed they would be trial and error for her until she figured them out. Despite that, she felt as though she delivered it strongly and got her point across, regardless if it was proper or not. Nico and Eli were formidable, and Maki would be eternally grateful for them. She needed people to know that.

"I see." The way the reporter looked at Maki made it seem like he was analyzing her. "That answer is very much like you. Reserved, almost stoic. But I can tell you care for them a whole lot, even if you don't express it completely in words."

Maki found it difficult to believe that this man could infer that in just one short reply. He didn't know her at all. Maki's lip slightly jutted out. The meaning behind her words seemed obvious. What else did she need to say? Maki wasn't one to be mushy, usually. Any mushiness she held in her heart was reserved for one person.

"Oh, yes," Eli nodded her head on agreement. "Maki can be quite stubborn when it comes to how she's feeling. It took us quite a while to get her to open up to us after μ's became a nine person group. I believe it was Nozomi who finally managed to break her out of her shell."

"That's not true!' Maki protested, her cheeks turning red. "I didn't need to be broken out of my shell! And I'm not stubborn!" How was she stubborn? She had willingly answered the question, and she had been completely honest.

Eli laughed, "It adds to her charm."

"Indeed," the reporter agreed, "Groups tend to benefit from that tsundere archetype that's common in anime and manga. It's a fan favorite. I'm sure Maki will fit in just fine in the idol industry despite her rougher exterior."

"I'm not a tsundere!" Maki looked at the reporter in exasperation.

"Even if Maki isn't always the most open person, Nico-nii loves Maki!" Nico's sudden addition caused Maki to whip her head in the smaller girl's direction. Had she heard that right? What was Nico thinking? Maki opened her mouth, ready to spout something to excuse Nico's outburst.

Once again, Nico's voice surfaced before Maki had a chance to speak, "She's basically Nico-nii's best friend! We haven't always seen eye to eye, but we manage to get along just fine!" Maki took a deep breath. Nico had saved that quick enough. But the older girl was far too clumsy with her words. Maki made a mental note to bring that up to her later.

"I imagine that's because you're rather similar in some ways." Eli smiled at Nico. "You share Maki's stubbornness. You're also not too keen on revealing what you feel either. Now that I think about it, you're actually incredibly alike in certain aspects."

Nico's eye's widened, "N-Nico doesn't know what you're talking about! Nico-Nico-nii!" Nico put her hands up in her pose. Her eyes betrayed the anger she felt towards Eli's words. The corner of Maki's lips turned slightly upward. She bet Nico didn't feel that same appreciation for Eli as she had just a few minutes earlier.

"You girls obviously have a tight bond," the reporter smiled at them. "You seem to know a lot about each other. I'm certain you three will be very successful in anything you endeavor. I'd love to hear more, but we're all out of time. I look forward to interviewing you again in the future."

The reporter held his smile for a few seconds until the cameramen lowered their cameras. Maki took a deep breath. That wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. Things sounded a lot more natural than she had anticipated, especially towards the end. Once she had stopped paying attention to the camera's presence, the whole thing just turned into an afternoon conversation between friends.

The reporter thanked them one last time before walking off with his crew. They waited until he was out of earshot and out of their sights before relaxing from their stiff postures. Nico immediately turned to Eli.

"Eli! Why'd you say that?" Nico's voice returned to her normal pitch. "You're going to ruin my image!"

Eli took a few steps away from the small girl, "Sorry, sorry. I thought I was helping."

Nico sighed dramatically, "I suppose you did alright. You handled yourself pretty well up there. I was actually impressed, so I suppose I can forgive you." Nico crossed her arms and looked away.

Eli rubbed the back of her neck, "I was more nervous than I thought I would be. But you seemed pretty comfortable, Nico. You were impressive as well." Maki saw Nico smile in approval.

"Of course. I've been prepping for this for years." The conceited tone of Nico's words didn't match the look of happiness in her eyes at the validation of her skills.

Eli laughed again, "I don't think you're helping your case here. You two really do approach things similarly, don't you?"

"I'm not a tsundere!" Maki and Nico shouted simultaneously. Eli chuckled and put her hands up, taking a few more steps back.

Maki heard someone clear their throat. She looked up at saw their manager standing before them, his expression notably softer than it usually was. Despite that, Maki still felt uncomfortable in his presence. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Good job ladies," Kimura congratulated them. "That went quite well considering this happened so suddenly. I think you gave them a great impression. It's always good to talk about yourselves early on so fans can begin to form that connection to you and your group. Well done." Kimura nodded his head in approval.

"Thank you," Eli replied. "I can't speak for Maki or Nico, but I was eager to get past our rocky start." Nico nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

"Well, you've certainly achieved that." Kimura pulled a phone out of his pocket. "I think it's time we ramp up your schedule to match your friends' groups. I'll begin reworking your schedule immediately." Kimura tapped at the screen of his phone.

That news surprised Maki. He had seemed so hesitant to have BiBi do anything before the interview. Was that one instance enough to regain his confidence? Maki narrowed her eyes. His behavior towards this group was too erratic for her to be comfortable.

Kimura continued, his gaze glued to the phone in his hand, "As for the rest of the day, I'll allow to you go home and rest. You deserve it. Tomorrow, I want you to start solidifying your first song. Miss Yazawa and Miss Ayase, you'll be working separately from Miss Nishikino. I will be taking her to our composers to work out the music. You two will receive your instructions tomorrow."

The three of them bowed as he bid them farewell. Maki didn't like the idea of working with the manager without Eli or Nico, but she supposed she had no choice. This was her job. At least she'd finally be able to finally play out the sounds that had been going through her head all day. She would make the best of this situation.

Eli sighed in relief, "Well, we've successfully averted our crisis. I'll definitely sleep better tonight."

Maki nodded, "I've barely slept because I've been so stressed about these lyrics. I'm going to go home right after this and see if I can get some sleep. I'm exhausted." Maki didn't believe that would happen. There was still tomorrow's work to worry about.

"Oh wait," Nico spoke up. "Before you go home, do you mind doing something with me?"

Eli looked back and forth between them, "Is this something I don't want to know about? I'll leave if you want to discuss it privately. Since our work day is over, you're free to do whatever you like. Just take it away from here. Please."

"It's not like that!" Nico's face was beet red.

"It's alright. I was about to head home anyway. I'll see you two tomorrow!" It didn't look like Eli believed Nico. The blonde girl threw a quick wave in their direction before heading towards the door. Maki sighed. She really wished Eli hadn't walked in on them that one day.

Maki watched Eli exit the room before turning to Nico, "What do you want me to do?"

Nico, her face still red, mumbled, "It's nothing like Eli was implying. I was just wondering if you'd be willing to come over for a bit. You offered to help me with stuff at home if I ever needed it. I know I brushed off your offer before, but I actually do need some help this time..." Nico's voice trailed off.

"Of course. There's something I wanted to talk to you about anyway, so this works out perfectly."

Maki couldn't keep this information to herself. Not when it potentially involved Nico as well. Even though Nico could be immature at times, the twin tailed girl was still older than her, so perhaps she'd have a better perspective on the things Maki had found out.

Nico squeezed Maki's hand, "Thanks. We can talk about it on the way there if you want."

Maki nodded and allowed Nico to lead her out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm home!"

Maki stood awkwardly in the doorway as the smaller girl slipped off her shoes and ran deeper into the confines of the small home. Maki followed suit, taking a slower pace than would be considered normal. Once her own shoes had been removed, she lingered in the entranceway, hesitant and unsure if she should actually proceed.

On their way there, Nico had made it clear that Maki's presence would come as a surprise to the rest of the member's of the household. The smaller girl had failed to mention the possibility of Maki's assistance to the rest of her family. Normally, that wouldn't pose much of a problem, but considering the fragility of Nico's family at the moment, she would have preferred to avoid any unnecessary surprises.

"Hey, are you coming in or not?" Nico's head poked out of a doorway farther down the hall.

Maki took a hesitant step towards Nico, "Are you sure it's okay that I'm here? I don't want to intrude."

"I told you it's fine." Nico rolled her eyes. "You worry too much. If it was going to be a problem, I wouldn't have asked you over. Plus, you said you wanted to talk to me about something, right?"

Maki nodded. She had intended to talk it over with Nico as they were walking, but the older girl had gushed nonstop about the interview that they had participated in that day. Nico's happiness meant a lot to Maki, so she hadn't been willing to interrupt Nico's exuberance.

"If you're _that_ nervous, you can hold my hand while I walk you in." Nico's lips formed a teasing smile. "My younger siblings do that all the time."

Maki felt her cheeks heat up, "Don't be ridiculous!" She marched down the hallway, sharply turning into the doorway Nico was standing in. Without a glance, Maki walked past Nico into a small living room. She could hear the smaller girl snicker behind her.

Maki immediately spotted Nico's younger siblings. The two sisters, Kokoa and Kokoro, were sitting at the table in the living room, each busy with what looked like schoolwork. Nico's younger brother, Kotarou, sat on the ground, his small hands rolling a variety of toy cars across the carpeted floor.

"Where's Mama?" Nico walked up to the table. She looked at Kokoro, waiting for a response. The other girl merely shrugged, not tearing her eyes away from a textbook that laid in front of her. The awkward feeling from moments before resurfaced. Maki shuffled her feet, her gaze darting around the room.

"Kokoro, don't ignore me." Nico sounded exasperated, as if this wasn't the first time she'd been greeted by unresponsiveness.

"She's in her room." The young girl's tone was monotonous, uncaring. It contrasted heavily with the friendly demeanor Maki had witness upon their first meeting.

"I see."

Kokoa turned to Nico, looking up at her with a wide smile and glittering eyes, "When I talked to Mama, she said she was tired and wanted to be by herself. She told me to watch over everyone till you got home!"

Nico patted the younger girl's head, "Good job." The brown haired girl laughed gleefully and returned her attention to her work in front of her.

"I'll get started on dinner," Nico announced to everyone in the room. "I brought my friend Maki. You remember her right? She'll be helping me out tonight, so if you need anything, don't be afraid to go to her if I'm too busy to help."

Friend. She remembered that Nico hadn't mentioned their relationship to her family yet. Maki made a mental note to be careful in this environment. If Nico hadn't told her family, there was probably a good reason.

Maki felt Nico tug at her arm. The older girl gestured towards the kitchen before taking off in that direction. Maki smiled at Nico's siblings, who watched her with curious eyes, before following her girlfriend into the other room.

Nico's kitchen was surprisingly well stocked. Cabinets filled with a variety of different cooking materials lined the walls of the room. Several nice-looking pots and pans sat on the counter, waiting for the daily cooking routine. A rather large refrigerator was in the corner of the room, undoubtedly well stocked as well.

"Papa really liked to cook," Nico spoke up. Maki assumed Nico had seen her looking around "Our kitchen always took priority when he was alive. I used to watch him cook from time to time, though I never helped. When he died, the responsibility fell to me. I managed to pick up a few skills just by observing, so it wasn't too hard to get used to it. We sort of kept up the tradition of keeping the kitchen nice after I took charge."

"It's a beautiful kitchen." Maki smiled at Nico. "You must really like working in it."

Nico nodded, "I do. Even though it's hard work, it makes me really happy to make something good for my family. It puts everyone in high spirits during dinner time. Well, usually. We have to cut back a lot now, so things probably won't be as nice for a while" Nico cast her eyes down to the floor. Her mouth tightened into a grimace.

"How should I help? What do you need me to do?" Maki asked, desperately attempting to pull Nico's attention away from her unfortunate situation. "I'm not much of a cook, but I'll try my best. You might need to teach me a few things." Maki knew how much Nico liked to be depended on, so she hoped her request would alleviate some of Nico's more negative emotions.

Nico chuckled nervously, bringing her hand up to rub at the back of her neck, "Yeah, about that... I was planning on making curry tonight. I prepared a lot of stuff beforehand, so it'll be easy. I don't actually need you to help me all that much."

Maki sighed and closed her eyes, taking a few moments to make sure she kept her composure, "Why did you invite me then?"

Nico twiddled her fingers, "Well, everything's been really depressing here lately, and I got kind of sick of it. I didn't want to have to sit through another silent dinner with my family, so I invited you over. I thought your presence might lighten things up a bit."

Maki's expression softened, "You could have just told me the real reason. I would have come anyway. You know that."

"Sorry."

Maki hesitated before speaking again, "It's that bad?"

Nico sighed, "Yeah. Mama goes straight to her room every day after she comes home from work. She barely speaks to any us. It's hard to blame her, though. She's really stressed. But Kokoro's not happy about this. She's really mad at Mama for closing herself off, and she's mad at me for not stopping her. It's a mess."

"Ah, that makes sense." That explained the younger girl's unresponsiveness before. Maki understood Nico's earlier exasperation with her sister. If she'd been getting that all this time, it must have started to wear on her.

"It's in hard times like these that Mama really remembers that Papa is gone for good. It's always been hard without him, but when we hit speed bumps like this, it really hits her hard. She gets into a slump. This is the worst I've seen her, but she'll get out of it again and work hard as she always does."

"If your drive and ambition was inherited from her, I'm sure you're right." Maki admired Nico's ability to continue to work hard and keep up her energy even when faced with a bad situation. She wasn't sure how Nico pulled it off.

"Thankfully, Kokoa and Kotarou are too young to understand what's going on," Nico continued, "They're as normal as ever. Two less people to worry about, I suppose. I keep trying to convince Mama and Kokoro that my idol work will help us, but I don't think they believe me. That's why I need to work hard so I can prove it to them." Nico's eyes lit up with a familiar, fiery determination.

Maki nodded, "You'll get there." As much as she didn't want to bring it up, especially in a tense environment, Maki needed to discuss what she saw earlier. The sooner they figured all that out, the sooner she would feel comfortable. Nico wouldn't be able to work properly if there was some underlying issue they weren't being made aware of.

"But enough about that. Now's a good time to talk to me about what's on your mind." Nico spoke as though she had read Maki's thoughts. "You can talk while I fix dinner."

Maki shook her head, "It's important, so maybe we should discuss it over dinner when you'll be less distracted. Plus, I fully intend to help out, even if you don't need me to. I won't take advantage of your hospitality by sitting around doing nothing."

"Geez, you're making it sound so ominous," Nico eyed Maki suspiciously. "Should I be worried?"

"No. It's work related."

"Alright..." Nico sounded unconvinced. Nico shuffled in place, her jaw clenched tight. Maki glanced around before walking up to Nico, pulling the older girl into a hug.

"It's just about BiBi. I didn't mean for it to sound ominous, I promise. You're fine. Everything's going to be fine. I just want to talk about something I found out about the group. No big deal." Maki felt Nico nod. It was a bigger deal than Maki made it out to be, but there was no reason to freak Nico out about it. Maki wanted to use this time to enjoy each other's presence.

Nico pushed away, "I'm going to stop this here before this gets emotional. If I don't start dinner now, my siblings will start complaining, and trust me, you don't want that. Since you're so adamant on helping me, go get me the carrots and onions from the fridge."

Maki nodded. She walked over and opened the refrigerator door. Maki's eyes scanned the contents of the fridge, quickly grabbing the requested items once she spotted them. As she went to close the door, she saw a bag labeled "curry" out of the corner of her eye. It was filled with cut up pieces of meat, likely prepared by Nico earlier that day. Maki grabbed it off the shelf and shut the door.

"Oh good," Nico said once she saw the objects in Maki's arms. "I'm glad you brought out the meat. I forgot to ask you to grab that as well. Just put those things on the counter for me."

Maki did as instructed. She noticed that Nico had donned a pink apron while she was looking through the fridge. The older girl scurried around the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers to retrieve any necessary tools. Maki smiled. The determined way Nico went about that routine made her seem surprisingly motherly. And Maki had to admit, the apron looked cute on her too.

"Alright," Nico's voice interrupted Maki's thoughts. "Can you do me a favor and grab some salt? It's by the spice cabinet, I think. I need you to lightly salt the meat so it won't taste bland. Here, just put all the meat on this before you do that." Nico handed Maki a large plate.

"Are you sure I should be touching the food?" Maki was hesitant to do much more that fetch items for her girlfriend. She had little to no experience with cooking, and even the smallest job seemed intimidating when it came to handling food.

"Oh, right. You have your fancy cooks do everything for you," Nico turned to face Maki, a teasing glint in her eyes. "But it's just a little salt. You're _so _talented at everything else, so this shouldn't be an issue, right? But if you don't think you can handle it, I'll take care of it for you."

Maki's eyes narrowed at Nico's playful, sarcastic tone. She grabbed the bag and marched over to the cabinets. She wouldn't let Nico's teasing hold any weight. She could do salt. No big deal. The cabinet was filled with a variety of different spices. Maki ignored anything that wasn't white. Near the back of the cabinet, Maki found a jar filled with what looked like salt. She didn't see anything else that resembled salt, so this had to be it.

Maki pulled the jar out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter. She emptied the contents of the bag onto the plate. The jar looked too big to pour the salt directly from it. Nico said to "lightly" salt it, after all. Maki unscrewed the cap of the jar. She took a pinch of the salt and brought her hand over the plate. Was this good enough?

"Oh god." Maki heard Nico gasp. "Don't move." Maki's body tensed. Was there something on her?

"What? What's wrong?" Maki found it difficult to keep her rising panic from showing in her voice. Her arm, still extended over the plate of meat, started to shake lightly.

Nico walked up to Maki, pointing at Maki's pinched fingers, "Did you take that out of the jar?" Maki nodded. Was there something wrong with the salt in the jar?

"Put it back," Nico commanded. Maki did what she was told, dumping the small pinch of what was apparently not the correct salt back into the jar.

Maki cocked her head to the side, "Didn't you say you wanted the meat salted?"

"Yeah. With salt. That is sugar." Nico pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was just messing with you before, but you really can't handle this, can you?" Maki looked at the jar and then back at Nico.

Realizing her incredibly amateurish error, Maki's face turned bright red, "How was I supposed to know? You said to get it out of the cabinet, and that was the only salt-like substance in there! You should have been more specific!" Maki was sure she had never felt this embarrassed before.

"I said BY the cabinet! Look!" Nico pointed to salt and pepper shakers, both red and shaped like strawberries, placed near the wall on the counter. If Maki's face could get redder, she was sure that it did.

Maki pouted and crossed her arms, "If you had been more specific, this wouldn't have happened." Nico rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the various different jobs she needed to accomplish.

"You're such a-" Nico cut off, focusing intently as she swiftly chopped up one of the carrots into small medallion shapes. "Just leave the meat. I'll take care of it. Can you go peel some potatoes? They're right next to me. The peeler is right there with them."

Maki had never peeled a potato before. Was that easy? She hoped so. Maki desperately needed to prove herself. She walked over to potatoes and picked up a thin object that laid beside them. Its black handle fit comfortably in her hand. A thin piece of metal protruded from the top of the handle. There were two thin openings down the middle of the piece of metal.

Maki tentatively grabbed one of the potatoes. How was she supposed to do this? Maki tried scraping the surface of the potato with the side of the metal piece. It did nothing. Upon further inspection of the tool, Maki noticed thin blades in the opening in the middle. That was probably the right place.

Maki lightly placed the metal on the potato, moving it across the surface. Only a small part of the peel came off. It wasn't enough to make a difference. Maki's brows furrowed. She pressed down harder, sliding the tool across the potato for a second time. A large, uneven chunk came off. That didn't look right either.

"Oh my god. Why?" Maki's blood turned to ice as she heard Nico's exasperated voice. She froze in place, not willing to turn her head to face the older girl.

"I'm sorry. I've never done this before," Maki's voice barely rose above a whisper.

"That's okay." Maki could have sworn she heard the faintest hint of laughter coming from Nico. "I don't have time to teach you right now, so just put it down for now. Just take the meat and the carrots, put them in a pot with some water, put a lid on the pot, and let it simmer."

Maki looked at Nico, her next thought vocalized before she even realized it, "Simmer?" Nico stared back at Maki, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"You are a human disaster." Nico's expression was stern, but the corners of her lips twitched slightly, fighting down a smile. "Just go sit at the kitchen table. I think I'll be faster by myself at this point." Maki pouted but complied. She moved towards a small table near the doorway and sat down.

For an hour, Maki watched Nico dart around the kitchen, undertaking several different tasks at once. Maki had to admit that it was impressive. The way the smaller girl moved so easily between her stations made her seem almost professional. She was surprised by how fascinating the whole process was. She never gave Nico's cooking prowess the credit it deserved.

The time spent preparing dinner had made her forget about everything outside of that kitchen. She had forgotten about the events from earlier and how she urgently needed to speak to Nico about them. She forgot about the tense atmosphere of the Yazawa residence when she first arrived. It was nice to forget, even for only a little while.

The smell of curry wafted through the air, growing stronger as time went by. Maki brought her arms around her stomach as it emitted a low grumble. Maki felt excitement bubble within her at the thought of finally being able to eat Nico's cooking.

Maki was surprised by how that excitement heightened once Nico finally placed a plate of curry down on the table in front of her. It both looked and smelled like something one would get at a good restaurant, and Maki had to fight the urge to wolf it down right away.

"Stay there." Nico held two other plates, a third resting on her arm. "Just let me serve my siblings really quick. We'll eat in here so we can talk." Maki nodded her approval, not taking her eyes off of the meal in front of her. Nico hurried into the other room. Maki could hear the delighted shouts of Kokoa and Kotarou.

Maki heard Nico speak, "Kokoro, there's another plate in the kitchen. Bring that to Mama, okay?"

"You do it."

"That wasn't a request, Kokoro. Do you want me to tell Mama that you've been misbehaving?"

"Okay. It's not like she'll care anyway. She doesn't talk to us anymore."

Maki flinched. She felt like she shouldn't have heard that. Her appetite diminished surprisingly fast, and she pushed the full plate of food away from her, the smell suddenly becoming too strong. The moments peace brought by the preparation of dinner was gone.

Nico's younger sister burst into the kitchen, her hands balled at her sides. Nico followed behind her, moving out of the way as Kokoro stomped back out, a plate of food in her hand. Nico moved to sit across from Maki.

Nico let out a heavy sigh, "Sorry about that. They shouldn't bother us during dinner, so you're free to talk now."

"You okay?" Maki asked, hesitant to bring up anything that might upset her further.

"I'm fine. I just need to talk about anything that isn't about my family, so go ahead." Nico dug into her own plate of food.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Maki started. "Well, earlier today I overheard something in the dance studio. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, so I wanted your opinion. Plus, I think you should know, since it does involve us."

"What exactly did you overhear?"

"Remember when I said that I got pulled away by the crowd and that's why I got separated from you two? Well, I actually went off on my own because I saw Hikari arguing with our manager," Maki explained. "I've never seen her that upset before. She was mad because they were holding us back for something "baseless"."

Nico kept eating as she listened. "Are you sure they were talking about us?" Nico's mouth was half full when she spoke.

Maki nodded, "I'm almost positive. They mentioned us being "children", and I'm rather certain that our group contains the company's youngest idols. Plus, that conversation we had with Hikari before the interview proved that they were holding us back for some reason. They were definitely talking about us."

"Hmm." Nico brought a hand up to her chin. "I don't see the issue so far. It just sounds like Hikari was standing up for us. I suppose we can thank her later." Nico shrugged and resumed eating. Nico gestured at the only untouched plate, giving Maki a questioning look. Maki pulled the plate back towards her and took a bite.

"I wasn't finished," Maki continued, once she had swallowed her food. "They also brought up something about past group mistakes. Kimura talked about not letting negative images of their groups circulate. He seemed pretty desperate to avert some kind of disaster. But I don't think we've done anything that would warrant such worry. That's why I'm bringing it up to you. This whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable. I feel like they know something we don't."

Nico stopped chewing, her eyes widening. Her expressions changed faster than Maki could read them. Nico brought a hand up to her head, fiddling with one of the ribbons that held her hair up.

"Do you think they know?" Nico asked, looking directly at Maki.

"What? Know what?"

Nico leaned back in her chair, ignoring Maki's question, "That is so sneaky. How did they find out? I bet they weaseled it out of one of our friends. Those- "

"What are you talking about?" Maki interrupted.

"Us! Our relationship!" Nico answered. "It has to be that, right? Hikari talked about a relationship scandal in one of their other groups. If that has them freaked out, then they would totally freak out if they found out about us. It's the only thing that makes sense!"

Maki's heart dropped, "Oh yeah, you're definitely right. That does make sense." Maki cursed herself for not realizing sooner. Now that Nico pointed it out, it seemed so obvious. Maki felt the beginnings of a headache.

"But how'd they find out? We haven't even told our friends. Eli only knows because she caught us, and anyone else just figured it out. But there's no way the manager would figure it out in the short time he's known us." Nico's brow furrowed in frustration.

Maki's mind flashed back to the day in the conference room. That was they only time they had showed romantic affection for each other. They had held hands briefly in the dance studio, but it wasn't unknown for friends to do that. It had to be the kiss. They knew about that somehow.

"We did kiss," Maki murmured. "Do you think they had cameras in that room? Maybe that's how they found out."

"I didn't see anything that looked like a camera. But then again, I wasn't really looking for one. Geez, this sucks. If we get in trouble for this, it'll harm the whole group, and then no one will be able to achieve anything." Nico rubbed at her temples.

This wasn't the best situation to be in. This could really set them back ,and knowing how important it was for Nico to succeed, they needed to do something quickly before it got too out of hand. Maki wasn't sure what they could do. Everything they had said was purely based on speculation. It all made sense, but how could they know for sure? What if they were wrong? There had to be another way to get around this.

"I think we should assume that they don't know anything about us, Maki said, ignoring the baffled look she got from Nico. "If we do something like try to talk to them about this and they don't actually know, we'll have dug our own grave. Let's be subtle about this." She had an idea. It wasn't preferable, but it could work.

Nico nodded, "Subtle sounds good. What are you suggesting?"

Maki took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how much Nico would approve of this, but it seemed like the only solution, "I think we should keep any unprofessional contact to a minimum; that includes "friendly" touching like linking arms. That way we won't have to worry about everything we do being perceived as romantic. We'll need to give off a professional vibe, at least until it feels like there aren't any issues regarding our group."

Nico stared at Maki without answering. Her expression was neutral, making it impossible for Maki to tell what Nico was feeling. Maki felt her heart thump in anticipation. The longer the silence persisted, the more she doubted that that was the right thing to say. Was that really something Nico needed to hear? Especially since she had already been going through a rough time before this came up.

"I think it's a good idea," Nico finally spoke up, her words surprising Maki. "I can't think of any other way right now. But before we decide anything, I want to make sure it's okay with you."

Maki blinked, "I brought it up. Why wouldn't it be okay with me?"

"I have something I really need to achieve," Nico explained. "I think it's a large enough goal to distract me from missing my normal contact with you. At least, I think it'll hold me over until this whole thing simmers down. You don't have a goal like that to distract you, as far as I know, so I just don't want this negatively affect you in any way."

Nico was right about one thing: she didn't have a goal in mind for herself. She followed μ's into the professional idol world for the chance to continue to be with all of them. But Maki didn't think that mattered. She could focus her efforts on her work even without a clear goal. She wouldn't let this cripple her.

"I'll be fine, Nico," Maki affirmed, smiling at the girl in front of her. "I care about you, but I think I can live without your affection for a while."

"I-I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know. I was teasing." Maki chuckled at Nico's dumbfounded expression.

"Sometimes I can't tell with you," Nico pouted. "You're so serious and somber all the time that it's still surprising when you turn playful. Give me a couple more years to get used to it." Maki felt her eye twitch. She wasn't somber.

"In all seriousness, you don't have to worry. I really will be fine. We'll also have time to be together outside of work, so this shouldn't be too bad."

"Yeah, it's a good idea," Nico agreed, nodding her head. "It'll probably give Eli some peace of mind too. I think she almost collapsed when I asked you to come over."

Maki smiled, "I don't think she'll get over walking in on us anytime soon."

Maki glanced past Nico at a clock on the wall. It was getting late. "I'm glad we had the chance to talk about this before it got too late. It's good that we're on the same page."

Nico turned around to look at the clock, "Oh yeah, it is getting pretty late. Come on, I'll walk you to the door." Nico stood up, holding her hand out to Maki. Maki hesitated, not sure if holding her hand in front of her family was a good idea. Figuring that Nico wouldn't have offered if it would be a problem, Maki took Nico's hand with her own.

Maki allowed Nico to lead her back through the living room, Nico's younger siblings not paying them any attention, and into the hallway that led to the entrance. Maki moved to retrieve her shoes as they reached the entranceway, but felt a sharp tug at her arm that brought her back towards Nico.

She spun around to face the other girl, who wrapped her arms around Maki's neck. Before she could register the situation, Maki felt warm lips press against her own. The spark that coursed through her body was a welcoming feeling of familiarity, and Maki wrapped her arms around the smaller girl in an effort to bring her closer. Much to her displeasure, the kiss ended as quickly as it began.

"Sorry." Nico looked up at Maki with half lidded eyes. "We're going to be really busy from now on, so I wasn't sure when I'd be able to do that again. I had to do it before you left."

"Geez, you're making this sound like we're departing forever. We're going to see each other again tomorrow, you know." Maki smiled down at Nico. As silly as it seemed, Nico's melodrama was charming at times.

"Shhh." Nico put a finger up to Maki's lips. "You're ruining my heartfelt moment."

Maki laughed, swatting Nico's hand away, "Right, right. Of course. I suppose I'll take my leave then. I don't want to soil your moment any more than I have." Maki turned back towards the door. She slipped on her shoes, and with one last lingering glance at Nico, she headed out the door.

Maki walked slowly, enjoying the evening breeze. Today had been eventful, to say the least. She was glad it was over. That last kiss left her feeling better than she had all day. Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring back worry, spending an extended amount of time with the manager was unavoidable at this point, but she wouldn't let it get to her tonight. Maki allowed herself to savor the feelings she felt during the last few moments in Nico's house.

In that moment, it felt as though everything was going to be fine. They had a plan, and Maki saw no reason why it would fail them. They'd get through this just fine. Maki repeated that thought, cherishing the sense of security she got from it. She was going to be just fine.


	10. Chapter 10

A satisfying twinkle rang throughout the room as Maki pressed down on the keys of the piano in front of her. It felt good to play again, she hadn't had much time to play on her own time lately, and Maki was eager to play through some of her ideas. Everything would have been perfect if there hadn't been several sets of eyes burning holes into her as they scrutinized her every move.

As soon as she had arrived at the studio, she had been pulled away from Eli and Nico, who were sent in a completely different direction, and brought directly to a music room. She had been greeted by numerous unfamiliar faces, the first being the record producer at the company.

It was in times like that where she desired Nico's presence most. The other girl's unabashed confidence was surprisingly contagious when Maki needed it to be. Maki felt stronger besides her. Nico inspired a kind of courage in her that she was unaware even existed until recently. But things often didn't work out in the most ideal way. This was something she had to do herself.

With Nico in her thoughts, she had mustered up the willpower to meet every single person in that room. A couple of them had years of composing experience under their belt, making her experience seem amateurish at best. Some were there to help the producer with technical preparation of recording. They had greeted her with a smile, all ready and willing to assist her in her composing endeavors.

Maki wasn't used to being placed under observation like this. She had never felt comfortable with great amounts of attention being placed on her, so the task of composing an entire piece under these circumstances seemed impossible. But today, she set out to achieve the impossible. Eli and Nico were depending on her.

With every few keys she pressed, she stopped to jot down notes on a sheet she had placed on the stand. The ideas were flowing nicely today. She had written down a third of the song, and it had only been a few hours. Her progress was uplifting, though she was unsure if she should share it with the room's other occupants. That's what they were there for, right?

Maki peered over the stand, "Um..." As soon as Maki opened her mouth, several of the people in the room practically jumped from their seats, their expressions eager.

"Do you need help with anything?" A kind looking woman, who appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties, approached her. She retained a calm composure, though Maki assumed she was just as eager to do something as the rest of the people in the room.

Maki ducked her head shyly, "I have a good chunk of my ideas written down. I thought someone might want to look over them." Maki was confident in her ability to produce good music, but the growing awkwardness of being silently watched was beginning to be too much.

The older woman smiled, "Oh, I can help you with that, dear. I'd love to look over what you have. I've heard you're quite the promising composer." Maki's cheeks reddened at the sudden compliment.

"May I?" The woman gestured towards the bench. Maki quickly scrambled from her place to make room for the older woman to sit.

Maki watched on as the woman glanced at the incomplete sheet music. She only took a few seconds to look at it before her fingers began to move. The woman's hands floated across the keys with grace. It put all others she had seen in the past to shame. Her fingers moved as if she knew the piece by heart.

The way the notes were strung together sounded perfect, at least when that woman was playing. Maki began to doubt that she could replicate it. The woman played through everything written down before stopping. She gave the piece one last glance before looking up at Maki.

"It's very well put together." The woman's cheerful, encouraging face reminded Maki of her mother, who often stood beside her when she played at home. Her mother always gave her that same kind of look whenever she praised Maki for her music. A familiar warm feeling spread throughout her chest.

"It's quite upbeat, as well. I like it!" The woman smiled again. "Do you have the lyrics with you? I'd like to see them."

"O-Oh, yeah." Maki reached for her bag. Her fingers fumbled with the zipper as she rushed to retrieve the lyric sheet. She handed it to the older woman with a smile. Maki observed the woman's expression as she read over the lyrics.

"Very interesting." The woman mumbled her words as she read. "I think what you have so far would fit these lyrics, but even so, now that I know what it's about, I feel as though something is missing." The woman turned her attention away from the lyrics, instead focusing back on the sheet of music on the stand, her eyes squinting as they scanned the page.

The woman grabbed Maki's pencil, which had been placed alongside the paper, and scribbled notes above the staff in certain sections. Every so often, the woman closed her eyes, humming softly before writing down something else. Maki noticed the woman's tact when presenting her own ideas; she left Maki's notes intact, electing to write in empty spaces near them.

"I've made a few suggestions that might help make the tone of your piece feel consistent with the lyrics," The older woman said once she had finished her revision, "You don't have to us them, of course. We want you to have the opportunity to create the songs you sing yourself, but I'm hoping they'll be helpful to you anyway." The older woman stood and took a slight bow.

Maki straightened her back before taking a deep, formal bow, "T-Thank you very much!"

"Of course, dear," the older woman laughed. "Anytime you need something, don't be afraid to shout." The woman moved back to her original place in the room.

Maki sat back down on the bench and grabbed the sheet music off the stand. The sheet was significantly messier, the woman had written tons of notes in the margins, and Maki barely knew where to start. The changes weren't big, most of the woman's suggestions only changed a couple of things, but just by looking at them, Maki could tell that they would alter the feeling of the piece, regardless of how small the corrections seemed.

Maki placed her hands on the keys of the piano. She played through the opening of the song, keeping a careful eye on the markings above the staff. When she neared the first suggestion, Maki shifted her focus to the notes the woman left. Her fingers moved in accordance to the changes.

Maki almost slipped out of her seat. It sounded good. It sounded really good. Maki sat there stunned, her arms resting limply against the keys. It fit so perfectly. There was no way that had been the first time that woman had read those lyrics. Maki had no experience working with other composers before today, so the sheer gap in skill level was beyond shocking. She still had a lot to learn.

Maki quickly erased her own notes to add the woman's corrections onto the staff. She wanted to make a song that Nico and Eli would be proud to sing on stage. These suggestions put her a step closer to achieving that. Maki smiled over at the woman, who was now busy writing something of her own. She would have to thank her again later.

Before Maki could turn her attention back towards the sheet music, she heard the door to the room open. Maki turned around, her curiosity piqued, only to make eye contact with the person she had not been looking forward to seeing. Their manager stepped into the room, his lips pulled back into a tight grimace and his normally neat hair sticking up in various places.

"I apologize for my tardiness." Kimura ran a hand through his hair. "I was pulled into an unexpected meeting, and the situation got out of hand."

"Everything okay?" The producer walked up to Kimura.

"It's been dealt with, for now." Kimura lowered his voice until Maki could barely hear him. "Though, I must take Miss Nishikino out of the room for a short while. There's something crucial I need to discuss with her about her group. I had intended on bringing the others, but Hikari had been insistent on their practice going uninterrupted."

Maki turned her head away from the two men. She fixed her gaze on a random spot in the room, listening carefully, making sure she didn't miss a single word. If she was needed, then it was likely whatever had happened involved her somehow. It was best to learn as much as she could about the situation before she was pulled away.

"She's been giving you a lot of grief, huh?" The producer's voice was sympathetic. "That's just like her. She's very protective of her trainees."

Kimura sighed heavily, "That woman doesn't understand how these things work. Either that or she doesn't care. I may have to look into finding a more...compliant replacement if she continues this resistance."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Maki bristled. They were fairly quick to dismiss employees for a company that prided itself on taking care of the people that worked for them. Apparently, that kindness only extended to the idols, the ones who brought attention to the company.

"Miss Nishikino." Maki flinched as Kimura called her name. "Please come with me. There's something I must discuss with you in my office. You can leave your things here. It should only take a few minutes."

Maki stood up, her movements stiff. Without a word, she followed Kimura out of the room. They walked in silence. Every few seconds, Maki glanced at Kimura, anticipating the start of the discussion right there in the hallway. Much to her relief, Kimura didn't speak until they reached his office. It gave her time to prepare. She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

Upon entering the office, Kimura walked towards a window on the back wall. He stood facing towards it, his gaze directed out at the horizon. Maki stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure if she should be seated or not.

Kimura stared out the window, his hands clasped behind his back, "We take the wellbeing of our idols very seriously. Their success is our highest priority. We work tirelessly every day to make sure our idols are able to work in some of the best music facilities in the country. Due to our efforts, many of our groups have been successful."

Maki brought her hand up to her head, twirling a strand of hair. She had heard this spiel multiple times already. It was something that the company seemingly did not want them to forget. She wondered how many more times she would have to hear it before they felt it unnecessary to repeat any longer.

Kimura continued, "As you may have heard, not all of our groups have met the same kind of success. There are times when we let something slip past us. Some of our idols don't realize that our scrutiny is well intentioned and they act out when an opportunity arises. The group suffers as a result."

"What does this have to do with me?" Maki eyed Kimura suspiciously. Deep down she knew what this was about, but the way he was dodging around the subject gave Maki just the right amount of doubt to be unsure of his intentions.

Kimura turned around, shaking his head, "Not just you. This is about your entire group. The potential in you girls is unlike anything we've ever seen. You could easily rise to the top of the charts with the right training."

"Alright..." That prospect was exciting to think about in hindsight, but there was always some sort of catch. Maki hadn't been brought there just to be told that. She had a feeling she'd be hearing about that catch any second now.

"But I'm worried." Kimura took to pacing slowly along the back wall. "The idol industry demands certain things out of those who wish to partake in its benefits. An idol's image is of utmost importance to them and the consumers as well. Behaviors that shatter that image are what lead to an idol's downfall."

"Image? Like the Nico Nico nii thing Nico is always doing?" Maki purposely brought up Nico's name in an attempt to bait a reaction from the manager. To her disappointment, the man's stoic front did not falter.

"Precisely." Kimura nodded his head. "Miss Yazawa has created an image for herself that will undoubtedly be adored amongst her fans. That childish, innocent part of her image is easily marketable, so I have no doubts that she'll be successful."

Maki felt a shiver run down her spine. The way he spoke made Nico sound almost like a product. That idea didn't sit well with Maki, especially since she knew how important being an idol was to Nico.

"If Nico's image is so perfect, why are you worried?" Maki found it increasingly difficult to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Once that image is shattered, the idol is no longer someone the fans can look up to, rendering them useless within this industry. It's happened in one of our groups, and despite our efforts to remove the offending member from the public eye, the group has still suffered as a result. The media always has a way to find out what it needs to know. No matter how much you try to hide something, they'll always know."

Maki assumed he was talking about the most recent relationship scandal involving a member of one of their most popular groups. She had been unaware that the company had tried to cover it up. With the amount of information circulating about it, she would have thought otherwise.

Kimura stared at her with stern eyes, "We have a zero tolerance policy towards relationships, Miss Nishikino. Especially those of the same nature as the one you have with Miss Yazawa."

There it was. That's what Maki had been waiting for. They had been aware of her relationship with Nico after all. Maki wondered what he meant by 'those of the same nature as the one you have'.

Kimura raised an eyebrow, "You don't look surprised."

"We had a feeling you knew," Maki chose her words carefully. "But you don't have to worry. We talked it over and found a proper solution." Part of her hoped that that would be enough. Another part hoped that he would trust them enough to drop this matter entirely. And a third part, hidden deep within herself, was angry that this was even an issue in the first place.

Kimura didn't answer. He turned back towards the window, once again locking his gaze on the horizon. As the seconds ticked away, Maki's discomfort grew. His stoic, no-nonsense demeanor was disconcerting enough without the addition of unpredictable behavior.

"Your group must be quite dedicated," Kimura finally spoke up. "You wouldn't have accepted our offer otherwise. The nine of you fit well together. It's obvious how strong your bond is. I can't imagine any of you would get very far if one or more of you were no longer involved in this."

"What do you mean?" Maki could feel her heart speed up. A sharp, uncomfortable pain settled in the pit of her stomach as he spoke.

Kimura ignored her, "I understand that Miss Yazawa's family is relying heavily on her involvement with this company. It's a shame that they're going through such a crippling financial slump, but a few months of successful work here should get them back on the right track."

How did he know about that? Why was he bringing that up? Kimura's roundabout way of talking was nerve wracking. Maki had entered this conversation feeling prepared to handle whatever he threw at her, but that confidence was whittled away by a slew of confusing information. She wished Nico was there with her.

"I'm never interested in temporary solutions, Miss Nishikino. As you can probably tell, a lot is riding on your group's success, for this company and for members of μ's itself. We believe you have the potential to be our strongest group yet, so we cannot afford to rely on the possibility of this working out simply because you believe you've found a solution."

"Just let me explain what we discussed," Maki pled. "We're certain that it'll work.

Kimura shook his end, "End the relationship. This is non-negotiable. Failure to comply will result in an immediate termination of your contract with this company. That includes Miss Yazawa's as well."

Maki's jaw dropped. Was that legal? Could they do that? Maki had gone over her contract with her parents, but she hadn't understood many of the sections; the writing itself had been too difficult to comprehend. Perhaps there was something in there that she had not understood.

Her mind went back to the earlier discussion she had heard in the music room. She had been wrong. General employees weren't the only ones threatened into compliance. Even idols, the company's primary focus, risked losing everything if they didn't act the way they were expected to.

"You're smart. I'm sure you understand the necessity behind this. We do have your best interests in mind, after all." Kimura smiled. The very sight made Maki feel sick.

"I apologize for taking up so much of your time. You _do _have a song to compose. You're dismissed. Please continue to work as hard as you have." Kimura sat down at his desk, pulling a large stack of paperwork out from one of the drawers. "Oh, and Miss Nishikino, please be sure to pass this information on to Miss Yazawa. It's important that she's made aware."

Maki, still stunned, turned around and exited the room. She dragged her feet as she walked down the hallway, a destination unclear. Maki rounded a corner and walked into a small waiting area. She sunk down onto one the couches, burying her face in her hands.

_"That includes Miss Yazawa's as well."_

They were going end Nico's contract. If that happened, it would crush her. Nico had lost a group once. Maki couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a second one.

"What do I do?" Maki spoke aloud. It was expected of her to tell Nico about this. Maki couldn't bear the thought of bringing this up to her. Nico was under enough stress already without the added threat of losing her dream.

But she had to. The consequences were too severe otherwise. She couldn't risk it. There were no alternative options. She had been trapped in a corner. She had no right keeping this information from Nico, not when it involved her as well.

Maki felt anger bubble up within her. Who were they to dictate what they could and couldn't do outside of their work? The manager had claimed that he was acting in their best interests, but that couldn't possibly be true. He was asking them to destroy a bond that they had forged in their year together. He was asking too much.

If he had just been willing to listen to her explain what she had discussed with Nico, he would have understood. They were already planning on cutting contact with each other to a minimum. Why wouldn't that be enough? No one would be able to tell them apart from any other pair of friends.

No. This could still work. Maki lifted her head, a plan coming to fruition. Maybe she didn't need to tell Nico at all. If they went along their original plan, it was possible that he would think their relationship was over once he noticed their decrease in contact. Maki stood up, suddenly feeling energized. That could work!

Maki, feeling triumphant in her new plan, began to walk back towards the music room. She would prove to him that they could be idols and still keep their relationship. With that last thought, Maki stopped walking.

_"The media always has a way to find out what it needs to know. No matter how much you try to hide something, they'll always know."_

Realization hit Maki so suddenly that it felt as though the air had been knocked right out of her. Deep down, Maki knew that that plan wouldn't work. Kimura was right. Considering the media's ability to find anything they set out to look for, it was only logical to assume that they would see right through their ruse.

She couldn't risk the chance of being found out. If Maki kept this from Nico and word spread of their relationship even with their limited contact, not only would it harm Nico, but the rest of her friends as well. She had to tell Nico. But she was afraid.

Maki was afraid of what Nico would say when she found out. This was Nico's dream. She wouldn't give it up for anything. Maki had always admired that about the older girl. She was so ambitious. Maki always knew that Nico would make it far in whatever she aspired to do. But never before would she have thought that that ambition would end up terrifying her.

The choice would be obvious in Nico's mind. Maki was sure of it. Too much depended on Nico's success as an idol for the choices to even be considered comparable. The moment Nico became aware of this would be the moment their relationship ended.

"But I don't want that..." Maki felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. She stood in the middle of the room, her fists balled at her sides, her body lethargic. This whole situation was so much more than what she wanted, but despite that, Maki couldn't stop this intense, selfish desire from taking over.

"Maki?" That familiar voice cut Maki deeper than anything ever had before. She looked up and instantly made eye contact with a familiar set of red eyes.

Nico and Eli stood a little ways away, their choreographer at their side. Maki rubbed at her eyes, quickly wiping away any evidence of tears. She caught the older girl's eyes again. Nico smiled and waved enthusiastically. That simple action made Maki's heart flutter.

Maki wanted to run over to her. She wanted to be at the side of the person who made her feel brave. She wanted to be with the only person in the world who made her feel like she could do anything. She wanted to hold Nico's hand and move towards the future together.

But she couldn't.

She was afraid. She was afraid of what she might say when she finally reached her. She was afraid of losing one of the most important things in her life. She was afraid of what would happen when Nico chose to disconnect their clasped hands and move on without her.

Maki turned and walked away, ignoring the numerous calls for her name. Her confused heart ached painfully. Nico's graduation had struck the same fear in her heart, but with μ's' entrance into the idol industry, Maki had thought she had wiggled away from their fated departure. But the inevitability of their split caught up to her again, and there seemed to be no way out this time.

She didn't know what do. A thousand thoughts flew through her mind at once, drowning out any chance of coherency. Maki fled to the thing that had been her biggest source of comfort before Nico. She hoped to clear her mind with gentle sound of the piano. It was all she could bear to do.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the inconsistency of my updates. Now that finals are over, I'll try to update more regularly.


	11. Chapter 11

Maki rolled on her side, reaching out to grab one of the pillows that laid on her bed. She hugged the plush object to her chest, burying her face in the soft surface. Maki had the day off today, but she couldn't bring herself to get up and do anything. Half the day had flown past while Maki had been stuck in her thoughts.

The only good that had come from Maki's cluttered mind was the completion of their first song. She was used to seeking comfort from the sounds of the piano. In the past she had spent hours in front of those keys for much less. Her grief had driven her to finish it late last night, and Maki was almost positive that it was as good as it was going to get. It was easy for her to channel her emotions into the things she composed, and their newest song had the perfect feel to it, one that matched her melancholic emotions . As soon as she had finished, she had sent it to Eli for critique.

But she hadn't send it to Nico. Maki was avoiding conversing with her at all. Normally, whenever she was unable to see Nico, she would text her throughout the day, but the most recent development in their idol career had drained her of that desire. She knew Nico would ask about her behavior that day, and Maki was in no way ready for that conversation. Though, she had to admit, she was surprised that she hadn't received anything from Nico's end. The thought worried her, but ultimately, her sadness surrounding her current predicament was too strong for her to give it more than a few seconds thought.

Though she had eliminated the possibility of speaking to her girlfriend that day, she still wished she could speak to someone. Maki was used to bottling things in, never to speak them aloud to anyone, but the cold fear that gripped her heart stripped her of that stubbornness. Maki reached over to grab her phone off the nightstand.

Maki scrolled through her contacts, looking for someone who might be willing to hear her out. Her fingers automatically stopped once she spotted Rin's name. The short, energetic girl wasn't someone who was known to give groundbreaking advice, but her easygoing nature could cheer anyone up. Maki tapped on Rin's name, putting the phone up to her ear.

All Maki heard was the repeated sound of the phone ringing, continuing on until Maki felt a faint prickle of annoyance. She tapped on the red button with an aggressive grunt once she heard the sound of Rin's voicemail. This didn't surprise her. That was the third time she had called her best friend that day.

Maki scrolled back through her contacts, stopping once she reached Hanayo. Rinse and repeat, the outcome was the same as the last. Maki squeezed the pillow tightly. The ones she normally looked to for advice were out of the picture that day. She couldn't think of anyone else she could call that would listen to her with the same attentiveness as the other two first years.

Maki moved to place her phone back on the nightstand, but as the screen faded to black, she noticed a particular name, one that she hadn't thought to consider. Maki pulled the phone back towards her, pressing down on the person's name. Her heart thumped as she heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"Hey, can I come over? I need to talk to you."

* * *

Maki stepped inside the apartment, taking in the familiarity of the room. She walked over to the small table that sat near the kitchen, placing her bag down on one of the wooden chairs. She turned back towards her fellow μ's member.

"I haven't seen you in a while, so your call surprised me, Maki." Nozomi gently shut the door behind her. "I had just finished up some extra work and was ready to go back to sleep when I received it. This must be urgent." The older girl gave her a warm smile.

Maki let her gaze wander, "I don't know if I would call it urgent..." She had no doubt in her mind that she would find what she was looking for right here, but standing before the thoughtful, mature senior was slightly embarrassing. Maki felt bad for worrying the older girl with her own trivial problems.

"There's no need to be coy, Maki." Nozomi's smile widened. "You know I'm always here for any of you whenever you need help. Go on and sit down. I'll talk with you as long as you need." Nozomi gestured towards the bed in the far back before walking towards the small kitchen. With a small nod, Maki made her way over.

Maki let out a tuft of air as she landed on the surface of the bed. She watched the older girl scurry about the kitchen. Nozomi's movements were sluggish, and Maki could see dark circles under her eyes. A few minutes later, Nozomi approached, a freshly made cup of tea in either hand. The purple haired girl handed Maki the second cup before settling down beside her.

"So, what's going on?" Nozomi took a sip of her tea. "It's work related, I'm guessing."

Maki hesitated, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the idea of sharing her innermost turmoil. Was she even allowed to talk about what she had been told in Kimura's office? She knew she was supposed to tell Nico, but he had failed to mention anything regarding the possibility of revealing that conversation to the rest of the members.

Maki looked towards Nozomi, immediately looking away again as she met the girl's turquoise eyes. Her heart raced, her breath coming out in short, rapid bursts, preventing her from forming coherent words. Maki jumped as she felt the other girl grab her hand.

"We don't have to talk about it right away. Let's start with something small and build up to it so you'll be more comfortable." Nozomi gave her a reassuring smile, calming Maki's frazzled nerves. "What made you come here? I'm surprised you didn't go to Hanayo or Rin."

"Neither of them were answering their phones." Maki answered automatically, feeling comfortable with the lighter topic. "I called Rin a couple of times, actually. They all went to voicemail."

Nozomi nodded, "Right, now that I think about it, that's not too surprising. Umi, Rin, and I all got sent home early in the morning today. We're prepping for a big event soon, so the company needed us to stay a bit later than usual. As we were leaving, I told Rin to turn off her phone so she could rest all day. That's probably why she never answered. She's been having a rough time lately. And with Printemps' rising popularity, I'm sure Hanayo is resting as much as she can too."

"Is Rin okay?" Maki clenched her jaw. She didn't need another thing to worry about.

"Rin's…" Nozomi hesitated. "She's struggling. I think being apart from Hanayo is hard on her. We're constantly working nowadays, and since she's the one Rin looks to for support, it's a lot harder for Rin to put herself out there while separated from her. It's not something she's used to."

"Will she be okay?"

When surrounded by those she cares about, Rin was brave and powerful. But the short haired girl was easily discouraged when cut off from her source of strength. Maki had heard numerous stories of Rin's and Hanayo's childhood. They had been supporting each other ever since they were young. It didn't surprise her that Rin was suffering now that Hanayo wasn't around. Maki made a mental note to seek her out one of these days.

Nozomi nodded her head, "Don't worry. I'm keeping an eye on her. She knows she can come to me with anything that's troubling her. I feel for her. It's hard to be forced away from someone you care about." Those words resonated with her. They gave Maki a familiar feeling of loneliness, one that had plagued her the moment she had left the manager's office.

"I understand…" Maki said, nodding her head. "I understand." Maki stared into the cup into her hands, watching the steam rise from the hot beverage.

"So this has to do with Nicocchi then."

Maki looked at Nozomi with wide eyes, "How can you tell?" The purple haired girl laughed at Maki's question.

"I understand." Nozomi imitated Maki, lowering her voice, staring into her own cup of tea. "You tend to get broody and deep whenever something's bothering you. I'd call it cute, but I can see something's really eating away at you, so I'll save the teasing for later. Considering the previous topic, I just assumed it was about Nicocchi."

Maki sighed. Nozomi's ability to understand people and situations from observing even the slightest things was terrifying. Though, she supposed that uncanny ability was one of the reasons she sought out the other girl in the first place. If anyone would know how to handle this, it would be her.

Nozomi continued, "I don't want to press you, but are you comfortable enough continuing on with this discussion? We can wait a little more if you're not ready."

Maki released a shaky breath. Removing herself from a situation, pretending it wasn't about her, was the easiest way for Maki to cope with talking about things she didn't want to talk about. It made her feel as though she were observing the issue as a third party. It gave her a sense of security. It was an illusion built for the sole purpose of convincing her mind that she was safe.

Maki locked eyes with Nozomi, "What would you do if you were told that you couldn't be with Eli anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Nozomi's warm smile was replaced by a puzzled frown.

Maki paused, not sure how to explain herself. She didn't want to explain the situation outright, she would just freeze up if she tried, but it was possible that her passive take on the situation at hand would just end up confusing the other girl. Maki let out a gentle hum as her mind worked out what to say next.

"What if you were given the power to sever your connection? It was something you were expected to use. If you go through with it, Eli gets to be happy, but you suffer. If you don't, you get to be happy, but Eli suffers. The one who gives you this command refuses to compromise. "Pick your poison" he says, not caring how it will affect you as long as it benefits him. What would you do?"

"I don't know." Nozomi's answer was quick, blunt.

Maki's jaw dropped, surprised by the answer. Nozomi was capable and intelligent, she always had an answer, but Nozomi simply stared back at her with sympathetic eyes. Maki could tell by the look in the other girl's eyes that she had come to understand the situation, but she offered no solution. This was something that even Nozomi couldn't answer.

"I wouldn't know what to do," Nozomi continued, her tone serious. "To be put in a position like that is an act of cruelty. But it's for that very reason that I would approach Elicchi with what I was facing. She would want to know, and she would want to help me in any way possible because she cares for me, just like I do her. We'd figure it out together, like we do with everything else."

"But what if Eli decides that in order to clear this obstacle, she has to part with you? What if you became the only thing holding her back from achieving everything she's always wanted? If Eli understood that, she would leave you behind without a second thought."

"I'd like to think I'd let her." Nozomi smiled. "If I was standing in the way, I'd want move without hesitation because I love her and I want nothing more than to see her with a smile on her face. Of course, I can't truly be sure since I'm not in that position, but I'd like to believe that with a clear mind, that's what I would choose."

Maki nodded her head, feeling tears form in the corners of her eyes. She had expected an answer like this, but she still didn't like hearing it. Maki believed every word Nozomi spoke. That was the type of person Nozomi was: selfless, loving. She'd put her own feelings aside for the benefit of someone else in a heartbeat. Maki doubted she held such noble sentiments in her heart.

Maki's ears perked up as Nozomi continued speaking, "But even if we were to part, it wouldn't mean we would part forever. If we were truly meant to be together, then we would be, no matter how long it took. Sometimes you have to take a few detours before you can reach your destination. Things may not have gone the way you planned, but in the end, you'll get to where you want to be."

"I'm afraid." Maki's voice barely rose above a whisper. Nozomi liked to put a lot of trust in fate. Being as spiritual as she was, Nozomi could find comfort in things like that. But it was different for Maki. She couldn't put faith into a mere possibility. If she severed her bond with Nico, that was it. She had no way of telling if they would ever recover. Maki's current destination was something that was consistently moving. If she took a detour, she'd never reach Nico, no matter how much she scrambled to catch up.

Nozomi squeezed Maki's hand, "I know you are. You have every reason to be scared. But you're stronger than you think you are, Maki. I _know_ you can be brave."

Maki shook her head vigorously, "How can you say that? I've never felt more cowardly! This is Nico's dream, and they're going to cut her contract if we stay together, but despite knowing that, a part of me still wants to keep it a secret because I know that Nico will leave if I tell her."

Maki stopped, covering her mouth with her hand. She had abandoned her indirect method of discussing her issue before she had time realize it. Maki was hesitant to further the conversation now that she had destroyed her own front. Nozomi removed her hand from Maki's grip, gesturing her to continue. It wasn't until Nozomi grabbed her hand for a second time that Maki spoke up again.

Maki tilted her head down, her words coming out as soft mumbles, "The thought of that is almost unbearable. I'm not brave. I'm not..."

"Aren't you, though?" Nozomi asked, her tone significantly lighter. "You're Maki, the one who, for the longest time, refused to open up to anyone in μ's. You're aloof. You don't let anyone have even the slightest glimpse at what you feel inside, but eventually you did allow someone in. You allowed her to see every flaw and weakness you try so hard to hide. If that's not brave, than I don't know what is."

Maki brought the cup up to her lips, taking small sips of her now lukewarm tea, "That won't matter, though. As soon as Nico finds out, she'll be gone. My "bravery" won't stop that from happening."

Nozomi chuckled, "I don't think you're giving Nicocchi enough credit. You assume that she'll just leave without a second thought. But she loves you, Maki. Don't discredit what she feels about you."

"But-"

"Talk to her," Nozomi interrupted, giving Maki's hand another tight squeeze. "You won't find the right answer from me. The only person who can help you is her, and I think she'll end up surprising you."

Maki turned her head to gaze out of the window above Nozomi's bed. The older girl was a lot more confident than she felt. Telling Nico was the last thing she wanted to do, but she saw no other option. Nozomi wasn't wrong; Nico probably _was_ the only one who would have a solution. It was the only way, but for some reason, no matter how many words of encouragement she received, she couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that things were coming to an end.

* * *

Maki tugged at the slender arm of her girlfriend, dragging her into one of the many empty rooms in the company building. They had twenty minutes before they were expected at the dance studio to begin the day's work. If they were even a few seconds late, it was likely that someone would be sent to look for them, especially since they had been seen entering the building together. To avoid any unnecessary confusion, Maki would have to make this quick.

"Ow, geez, Maki." Nico struggled against Maki's iron grip. "What's your problem today? Why'd you bring me here?"

"Just listen. Please." Maki let go of Nico's arm. She took a few steps back, allowing the older girl more room to breathe.

Nico put her hands on her hips, "If we get caught here together, it won't be good. Are you sure you thought this through, Maki? We had a plan, remember?"

"Just listen, "Maki repeated, ignoring Nico's warning. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation she desperately wished she could avoid. As she recounted that day in Kimura's office, Maki's heart beat faster and faster, seeing Nico's eyes widen with each word she spoke. The shine in Nico's eyes dulled and her shoulders slumped. The older girl fixed her gaze on the ground as Maki finished explaining.

"So that's what's been happening," Maki finished, her voice trailing off. "I didn't know what to do, so I ran away. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. You needed to know this." Maki leaned against the wall near the door, observing Nico's reaction, anxiety about the other girl's inevitable response making her legs feel weak.

"I can't believe this," Nico mumbled, not looking up from the spot on the floor. "I can't believe he would approach you like that. He just sprung this all on you. It's awful..." Maki could see Nico ball her fists, her fingers turning white as she squeezed.

"What should we do?" Maki asked, her voice soft and shaky. The other girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a few moments, she stood up straight, her red eyes making direct contact with Maki's violet ones.

"Honestly, I'm not sure any of our options are good right now." Nico spoke clearly, confidently. "This industry has always been finicky about relationships, especially when they involve female idols. Kimura isn't wrong. The media would know the first time they saw us interact with each other. I'll admit that I hadn't thought of that when we were discussing our plan. I can understand where he's coming from. This is just how these things work."

Maki's jaw dropped, "You're agreeing with him?"

Nico shook her head, "No. I don't agree with him. I've never agreed with that viewpoint on relationships. Idols are people, not objects. We all have our own feelings, desires, and aspirations. But the industry doesn't see that. They see something marketable, something that will make them money. I'm just not surprised that Kimura has taken this same viewpoint."

"That makes sense." Maki nodded her head in agreement. The businessmen that her father entertained often gave off a similar vibe that Kimura did. Sneaky, ambitious, distrustful, Maki never felt completely comfortable around the men her father had over for dinner, so it surprised her how long it took for her to understand Kimura's true intentions. She supposed it was the company's honeyed words of support that had lulled her into a state of false security.

"This really sucks," Nico sighed loudly. "I don't think there's much we can do at this point. We've been found out."

"What now?" Maki asked quietly, a part of her hoping that Nico wouldn't hear her question.

Nico groaned in frustration, running a hand through her hair, "I don't know. This just really sucks. I hate the idea that we're being forced apart. It pisses me off. But this is my one shot at becoming the best idol Japan has ever seen. I don't want to give that up either. I can't." Maki closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable.

" I think..." Nico paused momentarily. Maki's heart thumped wildly in anticipation. "I think we should scrap our old plan. It won't work now that we've been pushed into this corner. I might be best if we...make a more solid break..." Maki could hear hesitance in the voice of her girlfriend, but it did nothing to relieve her already pained heart.

Maki nodded, feeling her lower lip tremble. This was exactly what she had expected; it was what had filled her heart with so much indecision in the first place. Maki opened her mouth to reply, but all that came out was a short, shaky burst of air. She stared at her feet, embarrassed by her inability to vocalize her thoughts. It wasn't until she felt a warm, small hand grasp hers that she finally lifted her head.

Nico grasped her hand tightly, looking her straight in the eye, "But don't you believe for one second that I won't be back at your side the moment it's safe. I won't let them force this decision on me. No one tells Nico Yazawa what she can and can't do! We'll become so famous that no one will care that we love each other. When that happens, there will be nothing they can do about it! Just you wait, Maki Nishikino. We'll be back together soon enough, so lets work hard until that day!"

Maki stared back at Nico, the older girl's eyes lighting up like fire. The way Nico looked at her sent shivers down her spine. Unrivaled, fierce determination. Headstrong, bullheaded resistance. Passionate, uninhibited love. Maki stared into eyes that held everything that had made her fall for the tiny girl.

Nico's confident words brought a small smile back to Maki's face. "Nozomi was wrong."

"Huh?"

"I'm not the brave one. Not at all. But she was right about one thing: you did surprise me. You've always been unpredictable. It scares me half to death sometimes. It's so hard to tell what you're going to do that I can't help but fear the worst. Geez, Nico..." Maki gave Nico's hand an affectionate squeeze.

Nico tilted her head to the side, "I don't really get what you're talking about right now, but it seems like you understood what I was trying to say. You did, right?" Nico's puzzled expression and slight pout was enough to lift Maki's spirits, even if only a little bit.

"I did."

"Good. That's good." Nico nodded her head in approval. "I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page here. I just don't want you to think I'm leaving you behind, because I'm not. I promise."

Leaving you behind. Those words struck a chord in her. Something about those words bothered Maki. Hearing them made her uncomfortable in way she couldn't begin to understand. Nico promised that she wouldn't leave her behind, but tension still knotted Maki's stomach upon hearing those words. It felt like even the slightest utterance would make them a reality.

She believed that Nico was telling the truth when she told her that. The older girl wasn't one to sugarcoat things to make someone feel better. She was blunt and honest, she always said what she meant. Maki was sure that Nico believed in her own words, but something felt off. An inkling in the back of her mind told her to approach this cautiously. Maki was torn from her thoughts as she felt hands cup both of her cheeks.

Nico looked up at her, "You're spacing out, Maki. Don't worry, okay? We have to split for now, but we won't be far away from each other. We'll grow as a unit, and when the time comes, we'll come out on top as a couple. Okay?"

Maki nodded, lowering her head until her forehead rested against Nico's. The older girl leaned up, moving her arms to wrap them around Maki's neck, and brushed her nose against hers. Maki closed her eyes, nuzzling Nico's small nose with her own, cherishing Nico's comforting presence one last time. The moment Nico pulled away came too soon.

"We should go," Nico said, her tone soft. "Practice is gonna start soon."

"Yeah." Maki allowed Nico to lead her out of the small, empty room. An unwelcome sense of closure hit her hard. Kimura had gotten what he wanted. Maki only hoped that he would leave them alone now. Being around Nico, knowing they weren't together now, would be a challenge, but of she focused on her work, like Nico planned to do, she could handle this.

Maki couldn't let the outcome of this situation hinder her. If she wanted to be successful, if she wanted to support Nico and Eli, she needed to perform at her best. Things were going to get difficult, Maki had already seen the first signs of a struggling friend. She needed to focus and steel herself for what was yet to come.


End file.
